


Reality Check

by theNoke



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: After care, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Caring Harvey, Comfort, Comfort Sex, Declarations Of Love, Desire, Drunk Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Foreplay, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Harvey is a Good Boy, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Lemon, Love, Love Confessions, Lust, Mild Sexual Content, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Neck Kissing, Oral Sex, Orgasm, Orgasm Delay, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Orgasm Denial, Pining, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Public Sex, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romantic Fluff, Rough Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Slow Romance, True Love, Unrequited Love, Unrequited Lust, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2020-10-27 22:21:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20767859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theNoke/pseuds/theNoke
Summary: *** I release weekly updates! Sometimes more than once a week!****Thank you all for the incredible support!! <3





	1. Same Old Song and Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I had originally started this as an Alex fic, but I kind of fell in love with Harvey during the latent period of my writing so I turned it into a Harvey fic! 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy my work! I really love writing for this fandom because there are so many ways you can be creative with everything! 
> 
> I look forward to carrying out this journey with all of you who read my works!

Harvey spent most of his time alone in Pelican Town. He seldom wandered out to socialize, and when he did, it left him feeling incredibly empty. The almost middle-aged bachelor sat on his couch, slouched over watching the local psychic on TV. The microwavable dinner that he had heated up earlier in the evening had grown cold and.... _hard_. He glanced down at the black tray that rested on his coffee table. ‘_Meatloaf and mashed, huh?’_ A sigh escaped his throat and echoed throughout the hollowness of his apartment. The only light that was present was the literal light coming from the TV.

Harvey shifted on the couch to lay down, slightly slipping his hand under the waistband of his boxer briefs. It had been a long time since Harvey had the company of a woman in his life. In med school he was suave and alluring. He was the tallest man in the class and his BMI was impressive too. He certainly did have his share rendezvous in that time of his life. 

It was after medical school and during his residency that things started to change for him though. He barely slept, and never had time to work out; that’s not saying he’s not physically fit, just not what he used to be. He started change his priorities, and before he knew it, one night flings with the tight-ass, blonde nurses weren’t cutting it for him anymore. He hated working in the ER and longed for something more... quaint. 

When the job in Pelican Town opened up, he immediately jumped on the opportunity. Within a few months, he was completely settled in to his life here. Not long after that he hired Maru to be his nurse, and the two have kept things running smoothly ever since. Maru was an incredibly attractive young woman with legs that seemed to go on for miles. But he just never found her to really complete him. There was something missing from their conversations when they spoke. 

Harvey defeatedly shut the TV off and made his way over to the bed. He slipped his shirt over his head, revealing the curly brown hair that littered his pectoral region. He slithered under the covers and looked over at the planes across the way. ‘_If only.’ _There is nothing more that he would wish to do than to pick up and leave and start elsewhere. Honestly, at this point, would he even know how to start over? He has all of these dreams about falling in love and settling down, but he can barely carry on a conversation with his nurse that he has known for five years, let alone be vulnerable and intimate with someone strange.

“Yoba let me catch a break.” He muttered under his breath as he gently closed his eyes. Finally, Harvey was able to drift off into a quiet slumber, with dreams of a seemingly impossible future. 

********************

You have never been one to make a commitment. That’s why you were on your way home with some random man that you met at the bar. Growing up it was hard, your mother left you and your dad, and the only other parental figure you had was your grandfather. God you loved your grandfather. But his marriage ended abruptly when your grandmother died from colon cancer., and he died not to long after. All of this combined taught you one thing: attachment leads to heartbreak. 

You sloppily make out with this stranger you had just met an hour ago in the back of a taxi cab. All a while thinking about everything that got you to this point in your life. You shove the thoughts out of your mind and try to focus on running your hands across this man’s bulge. _What was his name? Fuck. _

You finally reach your destination and and the taxi driver clears his throat to signal that you both need to get the fuck out of his cab. You and... guy... look at the tab that you ran up. He looks at you and shrugs, “I don’t have cash on me.” 

_Of course you don’t, scumbag._ You fumble through your purse and throw the cab driver 100 gold and tell him to keep the change, it’s the least you can do at this point in the trip. You and... guy... grab and aggressively kiss each other the entire way up to your loft. When you get there you don’t break away from this handsome stranger and you feel for your keys in your clutch. Finally you manage to open your door and you both fumble inside. The man you are entertaining doesn’t waste much time in removing your clothes, but then again you don’t waste any time either. 

You both make your way over to your bed and gracelessly fall onto it with a thud, slightly bumping teeth when you do. You reach down for his member and are not necessarily impressed with what you feel, but it’s only for the evening so why the fuck not. When you slide him inside of you you fain pleasure and bolster his ego with moans and whimpers; but you aren’t getting anything out of it at all. You glance over at the clock on your night stand and pray that he’ll finish soon so you can kick him out and head to bed. ‘_2:43am.’ _You turn your attention back to the man on top of you and run your hands through his coarse, black hair, gently nibbling on his ear. You let out a moan into the side of his neck, and the vibration must have sent him over the edge or something, because his body convulsed and collapsed on top of you. 

You roll your eyes as the stranger buries his neck deep into your neck, condescendingly patting his back. You glance over at the clock once more--_ 2:45am_. You decide you’ll give him another minute before you throw him off of you. You move to brush your hair out of your eyes, and suddenly the silence is broken, “That was incredible.” The unfamiliar voice said to you, now cupping your face and lacing it with kisses. _Okay, definitely time to go._

You push the man off of you and cover yourself with a sheet as you pick your body off of the bed, “Yeah! For sure!” you try to say enthusiastically. “I’m pretty beat though and I have work tomorrow so you should probably get out.” You notice that the man is visibly upset now, you hate when they get like this. You reach for your phone and hand it to your acquaintance, “Here put your number in so I can message you tomorrow!” You say sweetly with a big grin. 

This diffuses the tension in the room and the man happily obliges. He puts his number in and you both get dressed to part ways. You walk the man to your front door and he gives you a kiss on the lips, “I’ll talk to you later.” 

You just nod, you don’t feel like lying anymore, “Goodnight.” And with that you shut the door. You head back to your bed and pick up your phone. _Bryan-- Delete_. You throw your phone on the charger and sit on the edge of the bed looking out the window that overlooks ZuZu City. You can’t help but feel a longing in your soul, something pulling you beyond the horizon. It is in that moment that you reflect on your time in Pelican Town. You haven’t been there since your grandfather died, but recalling those memories always made you happy. 

You walk over to your desk, the lights from the city illuminating your path, and you pull out an old scrapbook. You flip through the pages looking at all of the memories you made on your grandfather's farm, wishing so desperately that you could return to that time. You often wondered what became of the farm after your grandfather’s passing. _Probably JoJa_. You feel the a droplet of anger ripple throughout your body at the thought of it. 

You have been working at JoJa for a couple years since you left college. You haven’t really moved up within the corporation, but it was enough to maintain a fancy loft within the middle of the city. You hated your job there though, wholeheartedly. You practically have to scrape yourself off your bed in the morning to drag yourself to work. 

At that moment, you flipped the page in your grandfather’s old scrapbook, and a note came tumbling out of it. you hesitate for a moment, unsure what could be contained within the pages. After a brief moment of uncertainty, you bend down and pick it up. The dry texture of the paper almost feels rough in your hands as you smooth the creases flat. You walk over closer to the large window in your loft to light up the page: 

“If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.

The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.

I’ve enclosed the deed to that place... my pride and joy: my farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern most coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life.

This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck.

Love, Grandpa ”

You gasp as the paper falls from your hands. In that moment you can’t help but feel like you are being watched. It is almost as if your grandfather was there to answer your previous question. You take a seat on the floor next to the fallen parchment and you stare intensely out of the window. _What does this mean? _You can’t deny the fact that you have grown accustomed to city life, however, there is always a part of you that feels like something is_ missing_. ‘_Have I been trying to convince myself this entire time that I am happy?’ _You glance back over at the letter, squinting at it as if it had some sort of supernatural power. It looks like you are going to have some difficult phone calls to make in the morning. 

*******************

Your alarm was set for 6:00am, but you didn’t need it. You barely slept through the night, you just tossed and turned for the 3 short hours that separated you from dawn. As soon as you could, you reached for the phone on your nightstand. You placed a call to JoJa Corp. and held your breath as the dial tone rang. _It’s not too late to hang up and just get ready for work like normal._

An irritatingly familiar voice picked up that pretty much sealed your fate, “Hello JoJa Corp, how can I help you THRIVE?” 

“Hey Eunice, this is worker 45783.... um.... I’m just calling to say that... uh....” You pause for a moment, thinking about how you are going to go about this, then, like vomit you exclaim, “I quit!” 

You hang the phone up and grab a pillow to smother a scream. You can’t believe you just did that. You actually quit that awful job and you feel so... weightless. You haven’t felt this terrific in years! You dance around your apartment to the sound of your phone ringing; it was JoJa frantically trying to call you back, but you don’t have any intention on ever speaking to anyone from that prison ever again. You walk over to grab the note that changed your life, and flipped it over to reveal the phone number of a man named Lewis.

Once JoJa had finally given up attempting to reach out to you, you dialed the number, and once again held your breath waiting for a voice to pick up. The only difference is this time, you had no doubt in your mind or desire to hang up. Finally, a voice that sounded shriveled picked up, “Hello, Mayor Lewis of Pelican Town.”

You didn’t even know how to respond. You stood there in silence. Finally the man broke through the other line once more, “Hello?”

“Uh hi!” you manage to squeak out. This is all so surreal. Last night you were at one of the busiest bars in ZuZu City looking for a temporary escape from reality, and now you are making arrangements to become a farmer. 

“Hello! What can I do for you?” The voice kindly replied. You aren’t used to friendly interactions here in the city. 

You explained to Lewis that you are the granddaughter of the man who owned Hypna farms and that you received a note from him granting you ownership of the farm. Lewis was more than happy to make arrangements for you, actually, he was thrilled that you finally found the note your grandfather had left for you. He apparently always wondered what transpired regarding the property lot. 

You chatted a little while longer and finally you both hung up. He claimed that he was going to speak to the local carpenter, Robin, to get everything set up for your arrival at the end of the week. The butterflies that were in your chest were racing at an impeccable speed. There was so much looming in the future, but you have never felt more at ease in your entire life. You have only a limited amount of time before your big move to Pelican Town, so you don’t waste any time to start sorting through your belongings. The anticipation you feel towards the end of the week is already driving you mad.


	2. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited to be writing this fanfiction! It is hard to me put it down honestly. I'll probably be releasing a few more chapters this week seeing that I am caught up with all of my school work! There is NO Harvey in this one, it is kind of filler, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! I'm setting the stage for all that is to come :3

“Ow! Fuck me!” you shout as you accidentally stub your toe on the way out of your used to be loft. You have three suitcases that you are trying to juggle, but when you reach the door, you can’t help but put them down and take one more longing glance at the now empty exterior. It was quite the task these past couple of days, but you have finally sold and donated everything you own. All of the designer shoes and clothes you had collected over the years, all gone to the donation bin. Your furniture? All sold. The only thing that you carry with you now are some clothing and some sentimental items. 

With one final sigh, you heave your suitcases and close the door and head down the hallway. You thought this would be easy, but there is definitely a part of you that is going to miss your shenanigans here. You step into the elevator and press the ‘L’ button, making it glow a soft green. The elevator quickly descends you to the lobby of the complex, where you are sent off by the doorman one last time. 

He is a little old man, 73 years old named Merle, who you have grown quite fond of. Sometimes when you couldn’t sleep, you would come down and talk to him when he would work the graveyard shift. “Gonna miss you kiddo! Be sure to keep in touch, and send me lots of produce.” The sound of his voice was sweet to you, something that soothed you in all of the chaos. He leaned in for a hug and gave you a quick kiss on the top of your forehead. 

You started to tear up, for the first time since you uprooted your life, you felt sorrow, “I’ll miss you so much Merle.” 

With that, Merle offered to help you with one of your suitcases. Usually, you would deny him, but today was different. Merle was one of the people you had met in the city that you are genuinely going to miss. You transfer the luggage in your left had with a gentle smile, and you head out to the bus together. Merle hands your luggage to the driver and says, “you take care of this young lady now.” The driver, who is not enthusiastic about his job, simply fakes a chuckle. 

You hand what you are carrying over too, and you turn to face your friend, “Well, this is goodbye...” Tears roll down your cheeks this time, but Merle simply takes your hand and slips something into it. You raise your eyebrow to him, confused. 

“That’s my contact information. I may not have a fancy phone like you youngsters, but if you are ever lonely at 2am, don’t hesitate to call me.” Your few tears turn into a facet. You pull the old man in for one final hug and say to him, “Thank you for being the best.” You turn to the door of the bus and start to walk up the stairs, turning around one last time to look at your friend as the door closes and the bus drives off. 

You walk down the aisles of the bus and are greeted with some unfriendly faces, there isn’t much room for you to sit down. The only seat open is next to a man in a Tunnelers jersey who reeked of alcohol. when you went to sit down you swear he nearly growled at you. Glancing over at him you noticed his five o’clock shadow, he actually wasn’t as unattractive as you thought. The man looked over at you and grimaced, but you smiled at him reaching out for a hand shake, “It’s nice to meet you.”

He automatically replied as if he were some NPC in a video game,“Why the fuck are you talking to me, I don’t know you.” As much as he tried to put on a sour appearance, he still took your hand to shake it. 

A laugh left your throat, “It’s going to be a fun ride to Pelican Town.” At that moment, the stranger looked over at you wide-eyed, as if you had just told him that you were going to cut off his right arm. The smile on your face immediately vanishes, “What did I say?” 

“Why are you going to Pelican Town.” He asked sharply, and incredibly aggressive. 

“I’m moving into my grandfather’s old farm there. I thought it was time for a change.” You say back to him, still incredibly confused. The way he was looking at you was incredibly intimidating, there is a part of you that is regretting sitting by this man. You shift uncomfortably in your seat, but finally his face softens and he lets out a snicker.

“Small world.” He said, taking his hand up to his oily, dark hair. He now turns to look at you, “I’m Shane, I’ll be your neighbor.” 

The sound that leaves your mouth is obnoxious, even to you. “That’s incredible!” You say wrapping your arms around his, Shane is visibly annoyed but you don’t care, “We are going to be best friends!” 

Shane grunts and shakes you off, “Fuck off.” He’s trying to be upset, but there is a pleasant tone to his words, almost sarcastic. “ I don’t need friends.” 

“Of course you don’t _need_ them! But Shane! We were brought together by the fates!” You expect another snarky reply from him, but instead he just laughs you off and shakes his head. 

“I don’t really believe the whole fate thing.” He says flatly, “I am more of an existentialist.” 

You smile widely at him, “Well in that case, it’s even more incredible because you used your free agency to speak to me! That was your own choice.” 

Shane looked at you shocked again, “Don’t tell me you are a philosopher too?” 

You shrug slightly, “I double majored in college.” With that you turned to him and winked. You and Shane really hit it off on your trip to Pelican Town. You talked about a variety of topics from free will to what it means to be good. He filled you in on some of the town members and the different festivals that you could look forward to. All of the anxiety you had prior to this meeting has vanished. Shane really helped you cope with everything on your trip to your new home. 

People exited at various stops throughout the trip, until it was just you and Shane left on the bus. You look around noticing the vacancy, “Pelican Town must not be a popular destination.”

Shane shook his head, “It’s not, there is nothing to do there besides drink yourself into a stupor.” 

You fake a laugh, because you know that’s his truth. Finally, the bus pulls into the bus stop and you and Shane get up to exit the bus. You file through the aisle and Shane exits the bus at your heels. He turns to you when you both step onto the dirt path, “Do you need help with your bags?”

“Thank you, but I think Robin will be here to help me. Maybe I’ll see you at that Saloon sometime?” you ask him.

“Oh, I’m sure of it.” He said with a hearty laugh, his alcoholism is apparently funny-- or maybe that’s how he copes. With that you watch him disappear down the dirt path into the direction of an unknown location. You can’t help but smile to yourself, you are pleased with how the interaction with him turned out. Hopefully you can turn your acquaintanceship into a friendship. 

You look around and search for any sign of human life, but there is none to be found. You spot a bench over by a salmonberry bush and decide to take a seat while you wait for Robin. _I wonder what she looks like?_ You resist the urge to look at your phone and you instead take in the environment. You listen to the birds chirping in the distance, and you study the blades of grass that are beneath your feet. Existence is odd when you don’t have the sound of police sirens and honking in the background as noise. It is almost eerie in a way, it will definitely take some getting used to. 

Finally, you hear footsteps walking towards you, your heart races a bit in anticipation. When you finally see a figure walking towards you, you are shocked by the appearance. A beautiful woman with the most vibrant red hair walks towards you. Her stature is fit, and she doesn’t look a day over thirty. She is dressed rather plainly, but she effortlessly makes it look extravagant. Finally the woman approached you, “Hey there! I’m Robin, you must be the new farmer.... that or your lost.” He cackled at a pitch you weren’t expecting. She laughed for a good thirty seconds.... at her own joke. 

Finally, you are able to say, “Nice to meet you Robin!” The sides of your lips turn upright coyly. You don’t know how to read this woman totally. 

“Likewise! Lewis is at your house right now straightening things up, I’ll show you the way there.” She starts to walk down the dirt path, but for some reason your feet and legs don’t move. Robin finally notices your absence when she looks back at you, “Come on kid! Keep up!” 

“Right!” you shout, and fumble for your belongings. Hopefully the walk to the house isn’t that long, you are starting to already feel the fatigue in your arms. You hurry along until you reach Robin’s side, shyly you shoot her a grin and you both begin towards the farm. 

“Now I think I need to warn you,” she says as she takes a giant stride over a puddle, “Your farm may be a tad overgrown. But You seem like a strong girl! I’m sure you’ll have it cleaned up in no time!” 

The words bounce around your insides causing you an extreme amount of anxiety. _How much is a tad? _You don’t bother asking, instead you just nod your head in agreement. You don’t want the new residents to think that you are incompetent for the job, besides, _this_ is your life now. The more work you have the better!

Eventually you see the clearing and the house in the distance. You gradually pick up your pace and Robin follows your lead with a giggle. You come to the end of the pathway and drop all of your belongings on the ground, “YOBA!” you exclaim, looking at the wilderness that was once a flourishing patch of land. 

Robin places a hand on your shoulder, “There is some good soil under all of this mess, try not to get discouraged. This is your new home! You’ll have it fixed up in no time with some dedication.” 

Nothing Robin said made you feel better. You mind began to drift back to the loft you had in ZuZu city and how pristine it was. The view of the city. The smell of industry. The change is a lot to handle right not. In that moment, you heard the door to the house open. Out walks an older gentleman that you can only assume to be Lewis. He’s not nearly as decrepit as you had assumed, judging by his voice on the phone. In fact, he was walking over to you and Robin with much ease.

“You must be the new farmer! Nice to officially meet you in person. I’m sure you have already figured it out, but I am Lewis.” He reaches for some of your bags, “Everyone in town has been asking about you! It has been quite some time since we had anyone new in town.”

“Well I am very excited to be here!” You exclaim, looking over at your new abode trying to hide the disdain in your face. 

Lewis must have noticed because he started, “This is your grandfather’s old cabin! I’m sure you remember it vaguely. It’s much more rustic now than it was when you were a girl.”

Next to you you hear Robin mumble, “Rustic? More like crusty...”

Mayor Lewis must have heard this because he scolded Robin for he snark, “Don’t let her sway you into dissatisfaction! She just wants you to spend money at her carpentry shop.” With that Lewis shot Robin a mild glare. Robin went to speak, but Lewis raisedhis hand to silence her. At that Robin simply crossed her arms and made a ‘hrmph’ noise. 

“Let’s take your bags inside and allow you to rest and get settled. I’m sure this is all exhausting for you.” Lewis said as he began to hoist up your luggage and carry it to your new home. Lewis is right about one thing, you feel totally wiped out and it is hardly noon. 

You both enter cabin and he gently places your things down on the hardwood floor. You are pleasantly surprised by the interior. It’s quaint and homey, and you feel incredibly at ease. Images cross your mind’s eye as to how you are going to decorate the place. You look over at the kitchen table and there is a present sitting there, “Oh?” you say looking at Lewis. 

He smiles and replies, “A gift from me! Just a few things to get you started here in the valley.” A small blush forms on his cheeks and then he checks the watch on his wrist, “Oh! I am terribly sorry, I don’t mean to be rude but I have a... erm... meeting I must attend at a local ranch. I look forward to what you will contribute to our community!” And just like that he was out the door, he almost seemed... flustered? _Who knows? Not my business. _You drop your things and head over to your couch, practically throwing yourself onto it. You let out a groan, you have no idea what you will do first. Part of you wants to go meet everyone, but the other part wants you to stay home and unpack. Practicality takes over,_ I’ll have the entire day tomorrow_. 


	3. Check In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I am so excited to write this chapter! I love Harvey so much, he is such an incredible character! 
> 
> Enjoy <3

You let out a wild, feral yawn as you awake with your alarm clock-- _6:00am_. You glance around the room, quietly rubbing your eyes. This is definitely going to take some getting used to. However, the sleep that you experienced last evening was better than any you had in a very long time. Probably because you haven’t quite been able to exist in a world without sirens since you were in high school. The change is definitely bittersweet. 

You lackadaisically step out of bed, making sure that your feet are firmly planted on the ground underneath you before you go to move. You make your way into the bathroom and brush your teeth and wash your face. The cold water hitting your cheeks brings a new kind of life into your system. You head out into the kitchen and make some coffee in your french press and then make your way outside completely barefoot. The cool spring area welcomes you, and you take a seat on your grandfather’s old rocking chair, enjoying the view of the rising sun coming through the trees. The peace that you feel in your heart is unlike anything you have ever felt. You watch as a pair of birds flutter and mimic each other in the air, merrily singing a beautiful song to go along with their dance. Squirrels climb in and out of trees and casually jump from branch to branch, and you watch as they go about their normal, early morning routine. Everything is just so, you hate the idea of clearing the land in front of you; unfortunately it is necessary if you wish to make a living. However you make a mental note to leave a patch of trees somewhere on the farm. 

After you finish your morning coffee, you fee rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. This will be your first day interacting with the townsfolk, so you are both excited and nervous. You get changed into some old jeans and and your lucky sweatshirt, pulling your hair back into a loose braid. Your appearance isn’t much of a concern to you anymore, and that is _refreshing_. You step outside, and lock the door to your farm house and begin to make your way into town for your big introduction and reveal. 

****************

Harvey woke up from a wet dream incredibly frustrated, sexually. He looked over at his clock, but unfortunately he didn’t have much time to rub one out. He let out a hearty sigh, this was extremely representative of his life. He waddled into his bathroom and brushed his teeth and groomed his facial hair, upset with the fact that he think he spotted a new wrinkle; not to mentiongrey hairs that shimmered in the right light. Harvey was the oldest bachelor in Pelican Town, and it definitely showed. 

Defeated he got ready for the day, slipping on a pair of his trademark khaki pants and white button down. He walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner of his apartment and grabbed a red tie that he had hanging off the side of it. He looped it around his neck, making sure it was just so. His body definitely isn’t what it used to be, but he still looked incredibly fit for a man his age; his thighs and ass especially. _At least I have that going for me I guess_. 

Harvey walked down into the clinic and was immediately greeted by Maru. He could tell that he was still sexually frustrated because the sight of her in her nurses uniform was incredibly erotic. Harvey cleared his throat and slightly loosened his his tie, it was getting a little hard to breathe. 

“Hey, Doctor.” Maru said silkily. The words shot a jolt of electricity through his system, he typically hated being referred to as “doctor,” but given his sexual frustration, it was incredibly arousing. Harvey’s attraction to Maru is solely physical though, they practically have nothing in common besides the fact they are both in the medical field. People assume that they must bond over science, but that’s Maru’s passion-- not his. He was more of a history buff in school, believe it or not. 

“Morning Maru.” He said casually, he did a good job of talking himself down from his sexual trance. “Any appointments today.”

Maru shook her head, her curly hair bouncing as she did, “Nope, but hoping that new farmer comes in today to check-in!” Harvey completely forgot that someone new was moving in to town. The thought kind of thrilled him, he hasn’t had much interaction with people who weren’t from Pelican Town. The only time that he spoke to other people was when he had a medical conference in the city.

“Alright, I’ll be in my office if you need me. If she comes in let me know, maybe she’ll be willing to register at the clinic today.” Harvey started to walk back to his office, “Oh, Maru, make sure you check her insurance first.” 

“Of course.” She replied promptly. Harvey looked back at the woman that he had known for several years, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask her for a casual drink at the Saloon? He never really interacted with Maru outside of the clinic besides at the festival days.

“Hey Maru?” Harvey called out, standing in the doorway, propping the door open with his forearm. 

“Yeah?” she turned around with a smile, but he just couldn’t do it. He didn’t feel the connection to her that he wanted. There were things missing, spiritually. It wouldn’t be fair to her to give her some kind of false hope, he’s been in that position before. 

Harvey scratched his head, trying to think of something to say, “Can you run to the Saloon at lunch and grab some of Gus’ spaghetti for us? On the clinic of course!”

Maru giggled, “All of those carbs aren’t good for you, Doc, but sure!” Maru brought her hand up to her chin deep in thought, then as if she had an epiphany, “Can I get a salad instead?” 

Harvey laughed, “Whatever you want, Maru.” And with that, Harvey made his way back to his quiet office, sitting down and rubbing his fingers to his temples. He wondered what has gotten into him recently, why has his loneliness been consuming him in this way? He almost just tried to force a relationship on his good friend and employee. Harvey shook off the thought when he heard the bell to the clinic door ring. Judging by the enthusiasm in Maru’s voice, he assumed it was the new farmer.

**************

You walked into the Clinic, in awe of the pristine condition that it was kept in. The urgent cares in the city were so gross. You remember that the one you went to even had blood splatter on the carpets and a mysterious yellow stain. You shudder at the thought, that’s not your reality now. You turn your attention to the counter and you see a gorgeous woman standing behind the counter. Everything from her complexion to posture was perfect; her face buried deep into a patient’s chart. You walk up to the counter and go to speak, but the anxiety makes your voice crack. You clear your throat, “Ugh, excuse me. Hello! I am the new farmer. I figured that this would be an excellent place to stop by today.”

The woman behind the counter was staring at you, and then finally burst out, “Oh I was hoping you would come in today! Hi, I’m Maru!” 

“Maru!” you say enthusiastically, “It’s a pleasure to meet you!” 

“Hold on, let me go get doc and we’ll get you all set up! We don’t have any appointments today so we will be able to take you right back.” Maru turned and walked back to get the doctor, and you walked over to observe the posters on the wall. The one you were reading now was educating you on proper sneezing etiquette, with an ominous warning about the flu. You chuckle to yourself, those posters are always so dramatic. You hear footsteps walking back to the counter, so you return to greet Maru and the doctor when they walk through the doors. Maru walked out first, but it was impossible to not notice the tall, handsome man walking directly behind Maru. 

You aren’t going to lie, your heart fluttered slightly at the sight of him. His muscular, broad-shouldered frame shuffled through the door. He was incredibly well dressed with dark, copper-colored hair and intensely green eyes. He is the epitome of male beauty and grace; absolutely breathtaking honestly. You look away briefly, fearing that you will get flustered. When you do manage up the courage to look back at him, he is watching you intently. Almost looking as if he is trying to hide a smile of his own. You look at his lips, slightly enticed by the thick lower lip under his groomed mustache. It is unnerving how attractive you find this man. 

He reached out his hand to shake yours, and you stare at it for a moment. His hands are huge and well kept. A shiver runs down your spine as you reach for it, “It’s, uh, nice to meet you, I’m the local Doctor here in Pelican Town, Harvey.” He flashed you a smile and a warm feeling started to build up in your chest. You quickly pull your hand out of his. 

“Harvey, it’s great to meet you.” You say, surprised by how much composure you have in the moment. You certainly don’t want him getting the wrong idea. Plus, he will be your doctor, you shouldn’t even entertain the idea of fooling around with him-- as tempting as that may be. 

Harvey looks at you, almost shocked and confused. That’s when it hit you, you addressed him completely in an informal matter. You throw your hand up to your face, “Shit I’m so sorry! Doctor Harvey!” 

The laugh that escapes his chest is tantalizing, “A-actually I prefer Harvey. I was shocked because usually I have to explain that when I meet someone new. Just wasn’t expecting it is all.” His voice runs deep and velvety smooth, shaking only slightly. 

For a man as incredibly handsome and intelligent as he is, there is a lot of anxiety in his voice. And you can tell by his body language that he is incredibly insecure. That has to be some sort of joke. 

He motions to the door in the waiting room, “Walk through those doors and I’ll meet you on the other side to escort you back to my office. Leave your insurance information with Maru and she’ll take care of everything.” He stopped and then started again, “I’m sorry, I should have asked this first, but what insurance do you have?” 

“Ferngill Republic: Choice Plus.” You say back to him matter-of-factly. 

A smile crosses his face, “Excellent, we accept that here. Alright! Let’s get started.” 

You leave your insurance information with Maru and head through the double doors of the lobby. Harvey is there waiting for you. He presses his back against the wall and instructs you to make a right and then continue straight to make it to his office. He follows closely behind you, and whenyou reach the door to his office and exam room, he reaches his long arm passed you to open the door. You smell his spicy cologne and a hint of coffee, the smell is euphoric. 

“You can have a seat right there.” He says, making his way over to the small laptop in the corner of the room. He straddles the stool and the muscles in his thighs ripple through his pants. He takes off his green sports coat and hangs it on the handle of the drawer next to him. His white button down shirt is rolled up to his elbows, revealing decently muscular arms that flex with every movement. It was at this moment that you felt like your throat was starting to swell. You clear your throat and shift uncomfortably in your chair. It’s been a while since you have seen a man as attractive as Harvey completely sober, you don’t remember how to properly cope with these feelings. 

“To start, are you having any problems?” He says, turning on the stool to look at you. His pants are tight around his pelvic region and your eyes go directly to his bulge. You catch yourself though and immediately glance away, replying “Nope, I have been feeling well lately!” 

“Terrific!.... Okay, next I need your height and weight.” He replies turning back to his computer. You tell him your height and weight, suddenly insecure about your body. You have never been self conscious about this things prior. What was it about this man that made you so nervous? 

“Any family history of cancer?” He stares intently at the screen waiting for your reply. His Jawline is so sharp.

“Not on my father’s side.” You reply flatly. You flinch slightly, you know the turn this conversation is going to take. 

“Maternal?” He asks inquisitively. 

“Uhhh unsure.” You say to him. 

He looks over with you, but it isn’t with a look of pity, it’s with a look of understanding, “No worries!” A smile lights up his face. Usually people gawk and offer their sympathies when you bring up your lacking maternal figure. It was a nice change to have someone just.... get it and move on. 

“Asthma, diabetes, or heart disease?”

You shake your head even though he isn’t looking at you, “Nope... well... I mean I had childhood asthma, but I grew out of that in my adolescent years.” 

“Gotcha.” he says with a head shake. He clears his throat before asking you the next question, “Sexually active?” 

Your face immediately flushes and you look at one of the posters on the wall to try to get your mind off of the question, “Yep.”

“Uh.. D-do you practice sexual protection?” He rubs the back of his neck. What the fuck is happening right now? 

“Of course, condoms and birth control, no exception. I also get tested for STDs yearly to keep up with my sexual health.” You said all of that enthusiastically, but you have always been proud of up-keeping your sexual health; it is an important part of the human experience. If you didn’t know any better though, you would say that Harvey’s face was slightly red. 

“Well... That’s incredible!” There is an authentic tone to his voice, but also a great deal of nervousness. “Okay, I’m going to check your vitals.” 

Harvey rolls his stool over to you, avoiding eye contact with you by pretending to fix his watch. He reaches around you to grab his stethoscope and he wraps it around his neck for the time being. He grabs your wrists, checking your pulse. You stare down his hands the entire time. When he pulls away you look up at him and shoot him a smirk, and he returns the favor. He reaches for his stethoscope and puts it in place, “I am going to listen to your breathing and heart.” He warns you before placing the tool on your chest. His hands so close to your chest make you anxious, you can feel your heart rate picking up. 

“Your heart rate is a little fast. Do you struggle with anxiety at all?” He looks at you genuinely concerned. 

“I’m just nervous in doctor’s offices, and the fact that I’m new to town probably.” You lie but only slightly, what you said isn’t necessarily false.

“Well,” He said pulling away from you, “You seem to be the epitome of good health! No need to worry.” He rolled back to his computer in the corner. “Alright! I think we are done here.” 

You both get up and walk back to the front desk to meet Maru, “Well Doc, what’s her prognosis?” 

Harvey let out a laugh, “Many years.” He said back to her confidently. 

Maru handed you your insurance card and ID, “It was so nice to meet you, welcome to Pelican Town!” 

You smile sweetly at her, “Thank you! Oh! That reminds me, I was thinking about about having a little gathering at the Saloon later tonight, I’d love if you’d can both make it. Shane told me it's a pretty cool place.” 

“You already met Shane?” Harvey interrupted, he sounded serious.

“Believe it or not he was actually on the same bus that I took here from the city. He was coming back from a tunnelers game and the only available seat open was next to him. Kind of crazy when you think about the probability.” You say with a shrug. 

“Oh I see.” Harvey said scratching his head, “well, I will definitely be there! How about you Maru?” He said looking down at her. 

“Absolutely! I can’t wait!” Her enthusiasm motivated you. If everyone was as welcoming as these too, the rest of the day should be a breeze. 


	4. Gathered Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another chapter! I hope you all enjoy <3 This fanfiction has been consuming my life LOL

Harvey sat in his office and stared at the wall in front of him. He was not expecting the new farmer to be so beautiful and well-spoken. I guess you can say that was a result from an upbringing into stereotypes. The woman that was just in his office had him completely enchanted. The thought of his hand on her chest was enough to make his pants grown tight. _She wasn’t wearing a bra._ Harvey shifted in his seat and tried to remove some of the pressure that was building in his groin. She smelled so sweet too, and her hair was lustrous and natural. Not to mention the way that she talked about her sexual health, it made him incredibly aroused for some reason; it’s especially uncommon for someone her age. Harvey is constantly nagging Alex to wear condoms and practice birth control. He ran his hands through his hair and pulled on it slightly, staring down at her medical chart. Fuck. 

“Hey Doc!” Maru waltzed in at that very moment, “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.” She must have noticed that Harvey was visibly distressed. 

“You didn’t interrupt anything Maru, come on in, what’s up?” Harvey said back to her, trying to deflect his emotions for the time being. 

“It’s almost time to close up. Was just wondering how you are going to go dressed for the gathering tonight?” Her eyes were wide and focused on on him, scanning his face analytically. 

“Probably just business casual as usual. What do you think?” Harvey asked her, genuinely curious. He wasn’t very good at social occasions, let alone occasions that revolved around a resplendent woman. “Honestly maybe I shouldn’t go.” His voiced trailed off into a mumble. Maru was now looking at him with an empathetic look. Harvey had to be careful around Maru, she was very intuitive when it came to matters of the heart; he didn’t want to let his crush slip, because that’s all it is-- a crush that will fade away overtime once a professional relationship sets in. 

“No, Harvey, you told her you would be there. You should go.” At that, she turned around to walk out of his office, stopping in the door frame to turn around, “and you should wear jeans with one of your button ups, that will look great on you.” 

Harvey simply smiled at her and nodded, “Mind stopping by to pick me up? I don’t want to have to go in alone.” He now returned his gaze to his work, fervently scribbling on the papers in front of him. 

“Sure thing Doc, 6:30pm sharp! See you then.” She walked down the hallway and disappeared for the time being. Harvey followed her and locked the clinic up, casually changing the “OPEN” sign to “CLOSED.” He then retreated to the comfort of his apartment, sinking comfortably into his couch. It doesn’t take him long for the new farmer to pop into his head, and it doesn’t take him long to become sexually frustrated once again. This time Harvey decides that he has to relieve himself. He unbuckles his belt and grabs a handful of tissues from the side-table by his couch. He grabs his aching member in his hand and begins to stroke it. He wonders what his new acquaintance's hand would feel like wrapped around him-- her mouth. _Yoba. _Harvey throws his head back and groans at the thought, picking up speed as he does. His breathing becomes ragged, and eventually he guides himself through an orgasm, catching all of his cum in the tissues. 

Harvey sits, looking up at the ceiling, letting out heavy sighs occasionally. Finally he finds motivation to move and clean himself up. He disposes of the tissues and strips down to step in the shower; making sure the water is freezing cold. He lathers his thick hair up with his tea tree oil shampoo, invigorating his scalp. 

When he is finished he steps out and wraps a towel around his waist. He walks over to his closet and picks out the outfit he thinks Maru was referring to, finishing it off with his brown dress shoes. He looks in the mirror and is decently surprised that he is happy with his appearance. _Thank Yoba I have Maru to help me with fashion_. He grabs one of his grey sports coats that he seldom wears and throws it over his outfit for a completed look. He walks down stairs and he sees Maru waiting for him through the glass doors of the clinic. He takes a deep breath before opening the door to walk with her to the Saloon. 

****************

You add some gentle waves to your hair, highly anticipating the evening to come. You met some pretty incredible people today, and you were excited to get to know everyone better. You slip on a black dress that perfectly accentuates your body, and add a delicate amount of mascara to your already long eyelashes. You slide into a pair of your favorite black sandals and you are on your way-- well kind of. You bumped into Shane on your way home this evening, and you begged him to walk with you to the Saloon. After what felt like hours of him cursing at you, be finally obliged.The recollection makes you giggle under your breath. 

“Yo, hurry up!” you hear, followed by an incredible BANG on your front door. You open the door and Shane is standing there, glaring at you, “You said 6:00, it’s now 6:02.” You just roll your eyes, you have already grown accustomed to Shane’s antics. “Also, you look decent.”

You look at him and he is still glaring at you, letting out a laugh, you reply, “I don’t think your supposed to compliment someone with a look of rage, but thank you! Right back at you.” 

You lock the door behind you, and begin your journey to the Saloon with Shane. He really does look _decent _tonight. He’s wearing a long sleeve, black t-shirt and some old jeans and athletic sneakers. His whole look gives him sort of an edgy vibe.

“So,” you say, breaking the silence. Shane let’s out a small groan, “am I going to meet Emily here tonight?” 

Shane turns to look at you wide-eyed and smacks a hand over your mouth, “Shut up! Someone might hear you.”

When he released his hand you rub your jaw, “Ow, Yoba,” you say, gesturing broadly around you, “We are in the middle of nowhere Shane. We haven’t even reached the town yet.”

“Ugh, sorry. The whole situation just makes me.... uneasy I think.” He says, visibly uncomfortable. 

“Shane you should just be open with her, like you are with me! But... uh... maybe less cursing and animosity?” You can’t help but laugh at yourself. 

Still totally serious, he orders, “You’re right. But please don’t make a big deal about it? Got it? I don’t want any unnecessary attention drawn to me. This is a small town and people talk.” 

You salute Shane, “Sir yes sir.” Shane tries to fain an aggravated eye roll, but he accidentally releases a lighthearted chuckle. The rest of your walk to the town is silent. When you come to the first signs of civilization, your eyes directly go to the clinic. Just above the clinic is a window, and you get a view of Harvey buttoning up his shirt in front of his mirror. The sight makes your heart rate jump up again, and you start to walk a little faster. 

Shane picks up the pace behind you, “Yoba, I didn’t know you wanted to fucking race there.” 

You laugh off his comment, trying to relax. _Why does Harvey make me feel like this?_ You open the door to the Saloon and are immediately hit in the face with the smell of freshly baked pizza. The man standing behind the counter, Gus, was incredibly kind to you when you stopped in earlier to say hello. You even got a free plate of spaghetti out of the visit. You kindly wave at him, and then are immediately drawn to the woman who walks briskly out of the swinging doors. She is so petite, and has smooth pale skin with locks of blue falling in her face. You resist the urge to look at Shane, instead smiling to yourself. _He better start to appreciate me for this._ When she catches a glimpse of you, she runs over to greet you, taking both of your hands in hers. 

“You really are radiant! Gus told me all about you, and my sister! Your aura is stunning! I’m Emily and I cannot wait to get to know you.” She says as she looks up at you with her large, honey brown eyes. She has such an authentic beauty about her, you can’t help but to admire her. 

“I can’t wait to get to know you either! I have heard a lot about you too!” You realize what you said, and you can feel Shane’s daggers burrowing their way into your back. _Fuck_.

“Really!? From who?” The way she asks is adorably curious. 

“Uh... Gus as well!” Again, not a lie, but not totally the truth. You point back to the portly gentleman with a grin. Emily turns around and Gus gives her a thumbs up. _Thank_ _Yoba_. 

She spins around and places both of her hands on her cheeks, “Oh he’s so sweet.” It was then that she noticed Shane behind you. She leaned around you, blue hair falling to one side and exposing her neck to shyly say, “Hey, Shane.” _Could it be that Emily is also interested in Shane?_ Once again, you are smiling ridiculously to yourself. 

“Hey.” He replies back, trying way too hard to seem cool and collected. _Fucking dipshit_. You whip your head around to give him a look of confusion and are immediately whacked with one of his infamous scowls. 

“Well I better get back to work.” There is a hint of defeat in her tone. 

You put both of your hands on her shoulders, “Don’t work too hard! I really would like to chat with you more.” If Shane isn’t going to speak to her you might as well. 

A striking smile appears on her face, “You bet!” 

You and Shane watch as she skips back to the kitchen. You wait until she is completely out of sight before you silently scold Shane, “Dude she’s fucking into you.” 

“I told you not to draw attention.” He ferociously whispers back at you.

“You are the one drawing attention to the situation, ass wipe.” You smile at Gus to try to diffuse his curiosity, and then snap back at him. It’s entertaining that you and Shane are already bickering as if you have been friends for years. 

“We can talk about it later, okay?” He looks at Gus to give him a smile too, which definitely doesn’t help his ‘keep it under wraps’ situation. “I just want a beer now, please? You promised me a beer.”

“Well only because you said please.” You and Shane step up to the bar and Gus gets you both two mugs and fills it up with a seasonal brew. You reach your mug out to clink it with Shane’s but he just raises his glass to his mouth and peers at you over the rim. Finally, other people start making their way into the Saloon. The first to arrive is Sam and Abigail. Sam sits down next to you and Abigail next to Shane. You feel disappointment for some reason. 

“We are just waiting on my gloom and doom boyfriend, he’ll probably be fashionably late.” She says motioning to Gus to have what Shane is having. 

“So,” Sam starts, you turn your attention to him, “how has everyone treated you on your first day?” 

“Kindly! I’m very hopeful for my future here.” You say looking down into your drink. 

“I’m glad, I think you will really like it here.” Gus places a stout beer down in front of him. “You’ll have to stop by and listen to my band sometime.”

“You have a band!? That’s so cool!” You exclaim. 

“They sound like shit, don’t get too excited.” Shane interjects.

Abigail chimes in too, with a giggle, “It’s true, they don’t even have a drummer or a genre.” 

Sam slams his hands on the table, pushing himself off the counter to shout at Abigail, “Hey your boyfriend is in that shitty band!” 

Abigail shrugs and takes a sip of her beer, “Doesn’t mean the band doesn’t suck.”

You find this all so amusing, the laughter coming from you is uncontrollable. The bell on top of the door rings and you turn around to catch a glimpse of who was walking in. It was Alex and a man dressed entirely in black. Alex had his arm around this other man, talking to him about how he needs to add a workout routine to his life. The look on the stranger’s face was one of contempt, he obviously was not enjoying the conversation. 

They both walked closer to you, Alex demanded that you hug him. He wrapped his strong arms around your waist and squeezed you with uncomfortable pressure. Alex was more muscular than anyone you had ever met in your entire life. He was absolutely beautiful to look at, but lacked any kind of depth; which you will hopefully get to use to your advantage in the near future.

“This is my boyfriend, Sebastian, but call him Seb.” Abigail said, pointing to the dark and mysterious man, “You probably didn’t meet him earlier because he stays in his dark underground room playing computer games all day.”

You look over to Seb, and he is totally unfazed by his girlfriend’s words, in fact he is actually nodding his head in agreement, “Hi.” 

“Hey Seb you want to get a game of pool going?” Sam perks up.

“Sure.” You aren’t sure, but there may have actually been a dash of enthusiasm in Seb’s reply. 

“Anyone else want to join us?” Sam asks.

Abigail gets up and walks over to the pool table with Seb, talking about some adventure in the mines that she dreamed of. Alex also started to walk over, calling to Seb and Abigail. You look over at Shane and he shakes his head and you have to agree, pool isn’t your thing. 

“You go ahead Sam, I’ll catch up with you all later.” You say to him kindly refusing his offer. He nods at you, accepting your response, and runs over to his friends in the other room.

“You didn’t have to stay for me.” Shane said to you finishing his mug of beer. 

“I know I didn’t, but I kind of want to see who else comes through the door.” You say looking over your shoulder. 

Shane nearly slams his beer glass down on the counter, “You are waiting for someone, aren’t you?!”

You look at him, nervously shaking your hands in front of you, “No, no! That’s not it, I--” 

“Is it Elliot?” Shane presses.

“Who?”

“Ah, so it’s Harvey.” He says, clearly proud of himself. 

“What, Shane, no! Stop that’s ridiculous.” You say to him, trying your best to sound as uninterested as you possibly can. 

“Okay, let’s find out then.” He points to the door. You haven’t noticed, but Maru and Harvey walked in mid-panic. Shane leans over to whisper in your ear, “There aren’t any other bachelors in town you dense fuck.” 

You mutter under your breath to him, “I never said I was waiting for anyone, Shane!” 

Just then, Maru and Harvey walk over to the both of you. You stand up nervously and thenimmediately sit back down. You hear Shane unapologetically laugh in the background, and it takes all of your will power to not turn around and punch him. You stare at both of them, taking note of their confused faces. You look back at Harvey and stare at him, taking in how dapper he looks in grey and denim. You go to say something but nothing comes out.

Instead, Shane says something for you, “Ah! Maru, Harvey, so glad you can both make it!” You sigh, trying to think of how you are going to explain yourself to Shane later. 

“Hey guys.” You finally muster up, “I am really happy you could make it!” 

“Wouldn’t miss it! Do you guys want to grab a table?” Maru asks as she gestures to the table by the jukebox. 

“Oh that would be lovely!” Shane says, the enthusiasm unsettling you.

Harvey nods in agreement and you all make your way over to the table in front of the jukebox. You sit next to Shane and Harvey, and Maru is directly across from you. Emily comes over to get their drink orders, offering to refill Shane’s mug. You look over at the doctor and he glances over to look at you, both exchanging smiles. You can feel Shane’s smug eyes on the both of you. 

“Hey,” Shane starts, motioning to the jukebox, “why don’t you put on some of that jazz music you showed me on the bus ride the other day?”

Horrified, you look at your friend. That’s not something you tell a lot of people. You usually just suck it up and listen to the top 20 hits when you are in a public setting. Everyone hates jazz. 

“Y-you like jazz?” Harvey asks with a smirk. 

You groan and rub your forehead, _here we go_, “yes I do... it is a guilty pleasure of mine.”

Harvey chuckles and turns his body to you, “I love jazz music! I bet you were probably expecting me to make a snarky comment, huh?” He fumbled in his pocket looking for something. Finally he pulls out some coins and reaches to hand them to you, “you should go put something on for us.” 

You look at Harvey like you have just seen a ghost. You stare down at his hand and the shiny, round objects that are resting in his palm. You reach for the coins, “you aren’t joking, are you?”

“Trust me, I’m not known around town for my sense of humor.” He laughs back at you. 

You look over at Shane and the realization hits you, _this bastard set this up_. You give him a discrete look that says ‘we will be having words later,’ but he just smiles at you. You walk over to the jukebox and put on one of your favorites from a lesser known female composer. You walk back to your seat, and Harvey leans over to you, “She’s one of my favorites.” 

You are completely in awe of this man right now. There is a feeling building in your chest that you can’t describe; you don’t understand what it is. However, it is very pleasant. You and Harvey begin talking about jazz and your collections. Eventually that leads you down the road of talking about women, music, and culture throughout history. You haven’t been more intellectually stimulated in your entire life, and you both seem to have forgotten about the presence of Maru and Shane.

“I guess you know a lot about history?” Harvey says grinning over his wine glass. 

“I majored in it.” You say brushing a strand of hair behind your ear, “That... and philosophy.” You look back to make eye contact with Harvey and the way he is looking at you is peculiar. You have never been looked at like that before. 

In that moment, you are tapped on your shoulder, “Hey can I steal you for a bit?” You turn around and see Alex staring down at you. You look back at Harvey and he gestures for you to go, without saying anything. You give him a smile, “It was great talking to you about all of this stuff! thanks for entertaining me Harvey!” You took Alex’s hand and he lead you to a couch in the games room. You sit down next to him and he throws his arm around you, pulling you into his chest. You look back to where Harvey was sitting and you notice he’s gone. There is an odd feeling that forms in the middle of your stomach. Looking back at Alex you force smile, hoping that he can distract you from all of these feelings that are fluttering through your body tonight. 


	5. Outbursts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy guys! I had to figure out where the story was going before I published this chapter! But I have a pretty good idea! <3

The cool evening air hit Harvey’s face hard. He should have asked her to stay and told Alex to kindly fuck off, but that’s unlike him. She is nine years younger than he is, she deserves to be with someone her age who can actually make her happy. Harvey started on the pathway to the clinic and his apartment, sulking and sullen. He drags his feet along the ground, kicking stones aside completely disregarding his expensive dress shoes. He was reaching for his keys when he suddenly heard fast footsteps racing behind him. When he turned around, he saw her standing there, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Instinctively, he guided her up into an upright posture, “you’ll get more oxygen to your lungs this way.” He had a hard time containing the smile on his face, but he was also incredibly confused. 

He stared at her for a moment, admiring her figure in that little black dress and the way her hair curled down her shoulders. Finally she broke the silence, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to bother you, but I didn’t feel like our conversation was really done. Alex started talking about his muscles and I just had to get out of there. I just wasn’t comfortable.... or something.”

Suddenly, Harvey was beaming, “Well I appreciate you coming to find me.” Harvey rubbed his neck, it was a nervous habit of his. “I was pretty upset that our conversation had to end as well. Not everyday I run into someone who shares my enthusiasm for history!”

“I agree, it was.... pleasant.” She said as she stared at her feet. Harvey felt something was wrong though. The things that she was saying were pleasant, but her face was so solemn.

“Are you...okay?” Harvey couldn’t help himself. 

She sighed, looking up at him with her big, bright eyes, “I am, I just feel... weird or something if that makes sense. I don’t really know, Harv.” All he could do is stare at her-- _Did she just call me ‘Harv’?_\-- until she spoke again, “Um, I don’t want to sound like I am inviting myself in, but do you want to have a cup of tea or coffee or something?” 

There was a warmness that filled his stomach. He feels wanted right now, a feeling of belonging that he hasn’t felt in quite some time. He’s not really sure what is happening, but he isn’t about to let this go just yet, “Absolutely.” Harvey turned around to unlock the door to the clinic, holding the door for her in the process. When she stepped inside she moved to the side and waited for him to take the lead. He motioned with a nod of his head to move back towards his apartment. She meekly followed him, her body language was screaming at him that she was anxious. When Harvey reached the door to his apartment, he turned around, all of a sudden he was insecure, “It’s not necessarily the fanciest place, I hope you don’t mind.” 

“I’m sure I’ll love it.” She said shyly. There is a pureness to her right now that is driving him crazy. 

He chuckled, “Okay.” He turned and opened the door, once again propping the door open for her. She entered into the dark room and Harvey reached for the light switch. When the lights came on he braced himself for her reaction. Believe it of not he has never had a woman in his apartment, not even Maru. 

Instead of mocking him though, she exclaimed, “Wow.” Harvey looked at her, and she was already on her way to the radio that he had stationed by the window of his apartment. “This is some awesome tech.” She placed her delicate hand down on the radio and smiled at him. “I definitely want to be here one day when you use this bad boy.”

_Why is she so..... perfect? _

**********************

You stared intently at the man in front of you. You aren’t exactly sure why you left Alex, but you were happy that you did. Harvey is someone that you are genuinely interested in befriending, so why not explore that? After all, you came here to start anew and make genuine friendships. _If I want to have meaningless sex with Alex I’m sure he will be willing to at any time, right?_ You shake off the thought. You stand in silence with Harvey as he stares a hole through your soul. Eventually, as if being snapped out of a trance, he exclaims, “Coffee!” and then flustered follows up with, “Or tea?”

You giggle, “I’ll have some tea.” 

“What kind?” He said, looking back at you and bumping his hip on the counter corner, “Fuck!” 

You want to laugh, but you are too busy being shocked by the fact that he cursed. You didn’t peg him for the type. It was noticeable that Harvey regretted it too, “I am so sorry, that was incredibly unprofessional of me!” 

“Harvey! It’s fine, I mean you are a doctor but before that you are a human being; your existence precedes your essence.” You say with a smile, you genuinely don’t want him to have to hold back around you. 

Harvey stares at you for the billionth time tonight, and to avoid getting flustered to burst out, “Earl Grey!”

There was a softness that cooled his face, and with a smirk and a nod he said softly, “right.” 

While he is making your tea, you find yourself over to the couch. You sit down as close to the arm as you possibly can. You look at the magazines that he has spread out on the coffee table also noticing all of the coffee rings that litter the surface. “Hey Harv?” He looked over at you, “do you have a caffeine addiction?” You crack up at your own joke, and his face turns visibly red. 

He goes to explain himself and then lets out a sigh, “yeah, probably.” He picks up his cup and yours and brings them over to the table, “Wow, I never actually took the time to observe all of those stains.” He hands you your cup and you laugh. You take the cup in both of your hands and breathe in the wonderful smell of bergamot, gently closing your eyes to overwhelm your olfactory sense. 

When you open your eyes again, you start, “Your apartment is really nice, coffee stains and all.” 

“I’m glad you enjoy it,” he says as he takes a sip of his hopefully decaf coffee. “I don’t usually have guests over so this is a first for me.” 

You tilt your head slightly to look at him, “Why don’t you ever have people over?” 

He shrugs, “I’m just not the most social guy I guess. I can be pretty awkward at times.”

“To be honest Harv, you have more character than anyone I know. You should put yourself out there more.” You take a sip from your mug. 

Harvey smiles softly at his coffee mug, “Right.”

There is another moment of silence. You embrace it, it’s easy to sit in the nothingness with him. A question eventually pops into your mind, “Do you want a family?” 

You look over at him, and you see a somewhat morose expression on his face, “I’m sorry, I’m being too nosy. That’s your business, not mine.”

He shakes his head, “No that’s quite alright. I do want a family, but things aren’t looking very good for me. I’m thirty-six years old and--”

You cut him off, knowing where he is going with everything, “Stop it, you aren’t old at all. Some people don’t figure out their life until they are forty plus. I have this friend from the city, Merle, who didn’t complete school until he was forty-four. You have a lot of time.” 

“A-are you serious?” He’s looking at you as if you have grown an extra head. 

You lean in, bringing your face closer to his, “Dead.” 

There is only a small amount of distance between you and Harvey and you begin to close the gap. You have no idea what you are doing to be totally honest, but you don’t really care. You lean in eventually making contact with his lips, gently sucking on his bottom lip. The kiss is unlike anything you have felt before, and there is a feeling of euphoria that builds up in your chest. The feeling terrifies you and you pull away. This all of a sudden doesn’t feel like something harmless anymore. You stare at Harvey, shocked and confused, “I’m s-- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have.” You say as you slam your coffee mug down on the table. You gather your things and go to open the door, but Harvey stops you by placing a firm hand on the door. His large body threatening to consume yours.

“What are you doing? What was that?” His breathing is extremely heavy and uneven.

You look around as if you were going to find the answer on the floor somewhere, “I don’t know, I guess the alcohol still. I had an impulse and I acted... please I just want to go.” You can’t even bare to look at his face.

Harvey lifts his hand off of the door, “I see.” And you take this as your opening to leave. You don’t even bother to say good bye, you just vanish. There is too much on the line with Harvey. Fooling around with him wouldn’t just be nothing, it would very much so lead to something. You don’t want to feel that way about anyone, you can’t let yourself fall into that trap. You rush out of the clinic doors and you see Alex leaving the Saloon, you yell, “Hey Alex, wait!” 

He turns around and you close the distance between you, and you reach up and slam your face into his. _This is comfortable. _“Wanna head back to my place?” you say twirling a piece of his hair. you don’t have to ask him twice, before you know it, you are both on your way back to the farmhouse. 

*********************

It doesn’t take long after your alarm clock goes off to feel extremely regretful. You roll over in bed and you see a huge muscular body laying in bed next to you. You shake the meat sack that is Alex, “Get up!”

“mmmrpmhh... why?” he moans back at you. 

“You need to leave, now.” you say getting out of bed, all of a sudden realizing that you too are naked. Your mind flashes back to last evening and you wince in pain. Alex was like every other guy you have slept with, totally consumed with his own well-being. He didn’t get you off last night, but at least it was a body to distract you from the events that transpired with Harvey. “Alex. Now. Get up. Leave.” You say once more as you hurriedly put clothes on. 

“ugh.. fine.” He finally gets up and you can’t help but to look over to get a glimpse of his perfectly sculpted ass. Finally he gets dressed and makes his way to the door, “Just so you are clear, you told me to stay, I didn’t want to.” 

With a touch of anger you reply, “Yeah well I wasn’t necessarily in a good frame of mind last night.” 

Alex throws his hands up in defense, “Whatever. If you need me for.... whatever this was again, come find me.” You watch him disappear from sight and then let out a sigh when he is finally gone. You didn’t want to start your new life off here in Pelican Town this way, but you are unfortunately a creature of habit it seems. 

*********************

Harvey barely slept the night before, his mind was too bust focusing on that kiss the farmer planted on him. _Why would she do that? _Harvey tried to be angry about it, but he just couldn’t. It didn’t feel like she made a mistake, it felt like she was running away from something. There was too much passion behind it. Harvey wanted to pursue her, he really did, but she said she wanted to go and he’s not about forcing her to stay; he respects her, still after everything. 

Harvey got ready for his day at the clinic, Maru had the day off today so he hurried to get down to his office to see what all he had to do. When he looked at the calendar, he saw that he has scheduled an appointment with Alex first thing this morning. There is a twinge of jealousy that fills his chest when he thinks of him with his arm around the farmer. _Be professional._ Harvey did some early morning filing and finished up some paper work that he and Maru put off in place of getting ready for the gathering at the Saloon. When he finished it was just about time to open up shop. He went and flipped the sign to open on the front door when he noticed Alex walking from the direction of the old farm. _Why was he coming from that direction? _Harvey took notice that he even happened to be in the same clothes as last night. 

Harvey hurried back to his post behind the desk and Alex swung the doors to the clinic open, “Good Morning Doc!” 

Harvey wasn’t in the mood for his ego today, “Alex.” 

“Sorry if I’m a little unkempt, had a busy night with the new girl. Catch my drift?” He would give up everything he has to punch Alex in the face right now. _Since when does Alex use words like “unkempt?”_

“No worries, come on back.” His tone is noticeably agitated, and his words force his way out of his teeth.

Alex meets Harvey back in the examination room where everything goes as usual. Harvey tries his best to keep the conversation totally medicine related the entire time. Anytime Alex teases that he is going to go off on a tangent, Harvey reels hims back in. Towards the end of his examination, the bell to the front of the clinic opened. Which gave Harvey an excuse to push him out. 

“Well you seem to be in excellent health, Alex. Thanks for stopping in.” Harvey says to Alex flatly. 

Alex goes to get up, but turns around before leaving, “Doc can I have some of those condoms you are always trying to give me? New girl won’t fuck without them.” 

There is a tinge of anger that laces Harvey’s thoughts, but also a great feeling of pride. It really is the worst, and strangest, mixture of emotions. Harvey reaches into the drawer and and practically throws the condoms at Alex. Unable to even say anything. Normally, he would have been beaming at the fact that Alex wanted to practice safe sex, but given the circumstances, it is a littlebit more bitter than it is sweet. 

“You’re the best, Doc.” Alex says with a wink, and then disappears behind the double doors out of his office. 

Harvey can’t help but roll his eyes, suddenly he hears commotion out in the lobby, “I forgot someone came in.” Harvey mumbled under his breath. 

When he walks into the lobby he sees the farmer, but he also sees Alex leaning on the counter practically consuming her with his body. Luckily, Harvey catches her eye and she is the firs to initiate conversation, “Harv--, uh Doctor. I was hoping I could talk to you.” 

Harvey nods his head, and then the farmer turns to Alex, “Alone.” Alex gives Harvey a confused look, and honestly if he weren’t so confused himself he would have been more arrogant in this moment. Alex, visibly irritated, “Fine.” Storms out the front of the clinic. 

The farmer pulls a mug of coffee from behind her back and places it on the counter, refusing to make eye contact with him. She lets out a hefty sigh, “ Harv, I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve to be on the end of one of my... outbursts. I really hope we can still be friends.”

Harvey can’t hep but smile in that moment, the way she is pulling her hair behind her ears and playing with her hands on the counter is captivating. Harvey walks over to pick up the coffee mug, “Apology accepted. I would love to be friends.” Harvey desperately wants more, but if this is all she wants, then he can live with it. Just the fact that he is able to have her in his life is enough for him at this point. 

She picked her head up, her eyes looked swollen as if she had been crying, “Thank you.” And with that she was on her way out, “I would stay but I neglected my morning chores. See you around, Harv.” 

“See you around.” He said in reply, but it was more wishful than anything. 


	6. To the Rescue

It had been a few days since you saw Harvey. Everyday you would pass the clinic and try to catch a peak of him, but other than that you are trying to keep contact to a minimum. There is such a sincere way that he interacts with you, and it drives you totally crazy. When you lived in the city, you were used to brief interaction. The men that you would meet at the bars and local clubs were just place fillers. But the way Harvey interacted with you implied that he cared. 

“He’s your doctor.” You scold yourself under your breath. “Of course he cares.” 

Even in the city, your doctors were different each time you went to a clinic. You never saw the same person twice, and you didn’t bother getting a primary care physician because it was quicker to go to an urgent care. So this is all different to you. Every interaction that you have here in Pelican Town is full of meaning and kindness. You try to convince yourself that it is just the same with Harvey as well. 

You walk into your kitchen, and look out the window to watch the rain fall. It is a nice feeling to know that it is raining, you can have a day of leisure. You walk over to the phone on the wall and pick it up to dial a number. You patiently wait for a voice to pick up on the other end, finally:

“Hello?” The antiquity in the man’s voice is rich. 

“Merle?” You say, almost in tears. It has seemed like an eternity since you heard his voice.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise! How are you doing kiddo?” Sincerity running through his words.

“It has been on hell of a week Merle. I don’t know how I feel about anything right now. It is all so new and the interactions with people are..... _different_.” Your voice quivers slightly.

“Well I’m sure that’s true. You aren’t in the city anymore kid, people will want to get to know you there.” His words are soothing, but you don’t respond. There is a brief silence on the phone, but Merle cuts in again. 

“Have you met anyone interesting?” He is trying to change the tone of the conversation.

You tell Merle about all of the interesting people that you have met. You go on about the girl with purple hair and how the dynamic between her boyfriend and her friend, Sam is hilarious. You talk about Evelyn and George, and how they are the town elders and Evelyn has been making sure you have been well fed all week. You talk about their grandson, Alex, and discuss how he is so pretty to look at, but having a conversation with him is like poking your eyes out. 

“And there is this... guy, well he’s my doctor now... uh Harvey, he’s very kind.” You say, slightly uncomfortable.

“Well it sounds like he is different.” His tone is slightly condescending. 

“It’s not like that, I don’t really know. He’s...boring in a way.” There is a flatness to your voice. 

Merle laughs, “You can use a dose of boring!” 

Your cheeks burn hot at his comment, you immediately change the subject, “So listen, the reason I called is I want to ask you to this dance that the community puts on, on the 24th. It would mean a lot to me, I really don’t want to be the only one without a date...”

“You should ask that boring gentleman!” Merle obviously didn’t want to change the subject.

You scold him, “Merle!”

“Sorry, sorry.... I just want what is best for you. But I am actually off that day so I’d love to escort you!” He says, slightly enthusiastic. 

“Thank you so much. I will buy your ticket too! But hey I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later. Love ya, Merle.”

“Love you too, kid.”

After you hang up the phone you decide to do some cleaning and sorting throughout your new home to get your mind off of everything. You sweep the wooden floors and fold and hang up the rest of your belongings. There is a little crawl space in your bed room where you decide you are going to store your luggage. When you shove the dark red suitcase in the small hole, you fail to locate the nail protruding from the small area. When you pull your arm out, it digs a line into a good portion of your forearm.

“FUCK!” You yell at the sight of blood, but you aren’t necessarily in pain; everything happened so fast. 

You run to the bathroom trying not to drip blood on the floor, but that is almost impossible. You run your arm under water and the stinging sensation makes you yelp out in pain this time. The cut is incredibly deep and the blood is gushing. You wrap a towel around your arm and apply a great deal of pressure. You aren’t even sure if you’d be able to make it to the clinic. You once again reach for the phone and dial the number for the clinic

“Pelican Town Medical Clinic, this is Maru.”

“Maru, do you do house visits?” I badly cut my arm and it’s bleeding..... a lot. I don’t know if I should venture out to the clinic like this.” There is obvious anxiety in your voice.

“Oh.. yes! I’ll notify Doctor Harvey and he will be over immediately!” 

With the click of the phone you are no longer anxious about your bleeding limb: _Harvey is going to be in my farm house_. You sit down on the floor by the wall and prop yourself up, trying your best not to give into your woozy feeling. The nausea in your stomach has been building greatly, and your head feels light. Almost immediately, you hear a knock on your door, “Come in.” _That was fast. _

Harvey storms in the room and isn’t even bothered with how much your house looks like a crime scene. “What happened?” He ripped his coat off and took a knee by your side, firmly reaching for your arm. 

You wince slightly at his touch, “There was a nail I didn’t see while I was putting some things away...and... well.... voila!”

He was obviously not in the mood for jokes. He looked intently at your arm, examining the damage. While he was doing that, you were busy examining him. His sleeves wee rolled up again, which made you slightly flustered. His hair was wet from the rain, and sticking to his forehead. Rain drops still graced his glasses and his mouth was gaped open trying to take in oxygen from his run here. And that bottom lip, just looking at it drove you insane; you had to look away. 

“Well you are going to need a decent amount of stitches. You did quite a number here.” He reached in his bag and pulled out a bunch of sterilized equipment and a numbing agent. He washed his hands thoroughly in your kitchen sink and put on a pair of rubber gloves, “Let me help you up, it will be easier to do this at the kitchen table.” Before you could argue, a firm arm was laced underneath your arm and you were hoisted up. You took a seat at the kitchen table as Harvey prepared a syringe of local anesthetic, “This is going to pinch a bit.” _Yep, that pinches._ You try to keep a straight face, but you give in and flinch slightly at the sensation. 

Harvey stood up from the table, I’m going to wash up a bit if that’s okay. Should only take five minutes for that to set in. You nod in response and point to your bathroom and watch until he closes the door. When he disappears from sight you whip your head around to look at your throbbing arm. Gently poking it every now and then to see if it was numb yet. When you hear thedoor open you jump a little because you didn’t want to be caught poking your wound.

“Were you.... poking it?” Harvey came to your side and looked at you with an insane look. You go to respond but you notice that he has taken off his white button down and is standing there in his white undershirt. You can see his figure better than before, and notice some chest hair peaking out from his collar. You swallow hard before you go to respond again, “Sorry, it’s just, interesting.” 

Thankfully, Harvey let out a small chuckle before sitting down next to you. He re-cleaned your wound and then began to intricately stitch your flesh back together. When he is so focused on his work, he scrunches up his nose causing wrinkles to form on his face. Mindlessly, a smirk appears on your face. 

“Alright, you are all stitched up. It is going to be incredibly sore for the next couple of days. I suggest you at least find someone to help you on the farm tomorrow.” He throws all of the garbage into a small biohazard bag that he brought. “If you want I can call Shane or Alex for you?” 

All of a sudden there is a great deal of sorrow that pops into your chest, or is it guilt? You aren’t really sure honestly. “No, definitely not Alex... and Shane would be the worst. honestly I doubt he would do that for me.” 

“I’m sure he would if a doctor ordered him to.” He stood there looking at you with his arms crossed. “The clinic is even closed tomorrow, so I can even stop buy.”

“NO!” You had to throw your hand over your mouth, you went to stand up but you are still slightly dizzy from your blood loss. Harvey grabs you before you tumble to the floor. You are now draped over his arms, staring into those intoxicating green eyes. “I-I mean, you did so much for me I couldn’t ask that of you.”

“I don’t mind, but I’ll ask Shane first.” He slowly leads you over to the couch. “You should lay down.” He gently guides your head down onto the pillow. “Can I use your phone?” 

All you are capable of at this point is a nod. The nauseous feeling in your stomach is enough to cripple you right now. 

You close your eyes and you hear Harvey shuffle around your kitchen. He is certainly making a lot of phone calls. When he returns he sits down by your feet, “I’m going to stay here for the evening and just take care of you until you can move around on your own.

You grumble, “What about the clinic?” 

“Maru’s got it for the rest of the day and if there is a serious emergency then I will go back of course.” He stands up, his presence is much more mighty when he is practicing medicine than when he is in a casual setting. “Also, Shane and I will be here tomorrow to take care of your farm. So when you are well, please make a list of things you need done.” 

“Please, I’ll be okay!” You go to get up but you immediately collapse back down, “that’s too much to ask of you. You have done enough, Harv.”

“Stop being stubborn. Accept help, you need it.” The words cut through you in a way that nothing else ever has. Instead of arguing, you simply comply. It is very unlike you.

“I’m going to make you something to eat. You need something substantial from all of the blood you lost.” Harvey looks around the room and you seriously hope that he’s not thinking about cleaning up. _Please Yoba._

“What have you eaten today?” He looks at you and you don’t even contemplate arguing.

“Uh.... some decaf coffee?” You say with a smile, hoping this situation doesn’t become more tense. 

Harvey throws his hands into his hands, and eventually rakes them through his hair, “That’s not a meal.” 

“Judging by your apartment, you don’t eat well rounded meals either.” The snark in your reply is thick. You aren’t even sure where that came from, but cool and collected Harvey just lets out a cool laugh, “You got me there. But that doesn’t change the validity of my argument.” 

He’s right, and you know he’s right. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” He gets up and makes his way over to the fridge, “Looks like you need to go grocery shopping. I’ll make a quick run to Pierre’s to grab you dinner for tonight. What are you in the mood for?”

You look at him wide-eyed, and he throws his hand up before you even respond, “I know I know, I don’t have to and I eat like shit, or something like that.” He turns around to smile at you and you can’t help but soften your demeanor. 

“I like Italian food, I guess.” You truly have never considered this question in your adult life, when you were younger the answer was always: poutine. Maybe it still is? But that is an incredibly unreasonable request. 

“Eggplant Parm?” He is now looking directly at you. 

“Sounds great!” You throw him a soft smile, containing the mountainous one that is trying to escape. 

“Okay, I’ll be right back! I’ll probably change too...” He looks down at his blood stained clothes. 

“Harv! Bring your laundry here. I’ll do it for you tonight after I get something in my stomach!” Your exclamation actually sounds desperate in a way.

“No--” He starts, but you immediately cut him off. 

“Stop being so stubborn.” You say with a raised eyebrow and a devious grin. 

Harvey laughs, but retorts, “What kind of doctor would I be if I made you do my laundry?” 

“You would be a horrible one! But you aren’t making me, I’m offering.” You say to him, “Also, you are a friend Harv..”

Harvey looks at you with a beautiful gleam in his eye. “Fine. You win.” 

Harvey goes to pack his stuff up and gather his belongings and walks over to your door. Grabbing the handle and looking back at you, “I’ll be right back!” 

“Harv!” You muster in your hazy state.

“Yeah?” He looks at you with a tilted head. His dark drown curls caressing his face. 

Softly, you say, “Please pick up food for the both of us. I know you’d only pick up enough for me and then nothing for you.” 

You swear there is a flush on his cheeks, “Gotcha.” With that he left and closed the door behind him. You lay on the couch and close your eyes to get some rest until he returns. 

*******************

Harvey stopped by his apartment to clean up. The farmer certainly did a number on his clothes. He dressed himself in another pair of slacks and a button-up shirt, contemplating for a moment whether or not he should dress down. _Stay professional, she is your patient_. He left his laundry at the door of the clinic so he could pick it up on his way from Pierre’s. 

“Why are you taking your laundry?” Maru said curiously as she looked up from her clipboard. 

“Uh... she insisted I bring it back so she could wash it for me...” Harvey trailed off, realizing that this whole situation probably seemed out of the normal to Maru.

“And why are you going to Pierre’s?” This time Maru raised her brow at you. 

“She didn’t have any food in her house Maru! She lost a decent amount of blood so I thought I would make her something.” Harvey realized the way this must seem to an outsider. But there really isn’t anything more to it than the fact that he was her doctor and she was his patient. _I would do this for anyone_, he tried to convince himself. 

“Sounds like a date,” the smile on Maru’s face made him slightly frustrated. “A weird date, but a date none-the-less.”

“Maru, please try to remain professional and please don’t tell anyone about this. If you believe it’s a date then I’m sure the rest of the town would as well, and I don’t want her assimilation here to be difficult because of this.” There was a great deal of sternness in his voice. 

“Relax, I’m just joking Doc. Your secret is safe with me.” Maru looked uneasy, but she looked down at her clipboard and resumed her work. Harvey was never firm with her like this, but he couldn’t afford to have people around town talking. 

“See you next week, Maru.” He said softer as he exited the building.

Harvey walked over to Pierre’s and grabbed everything that he needed for eggplant parmesan. It has been a very long time since Harvey cooked at all, and he hopes that he remembers how to do all of this. When he was in med school he always used to have women over to impress them with his cooking just so he could get in their pants. Things were so different now though, and he was a different person completely. The strong, confident man he once was is now a weak, insecure puddle of a human being. 

When he made it back to the farmhouse, he opened the door to find the farmer sleeping. He stood in the doorway for a moment to just admire her. She is an incredibly fierce and confident woman, but in sleep there is a softness to her that he can’t resist to admire. Her mouth was open slightly and her hair was messily covering part of her face. Harvey couldn’t resist the smile that was forming on his face. 

He set everything down quietly and stepped over to the kitchen to begin prepping for their dinner, careful not to waker her.

*********************

You awake to the sound of sizzling and the smell of fresh oregano. You immediately shoot up from your position on the couch and look over toward the kitchen. Harvey is standing there with your blue apron on, delicately mincing garlic for the meal he promised you. 

“Hey.” You say in his direction, soft and meek. 

Harvey jumped slightly, and then looked in your direction, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you! How are you feeling?” He walked over to the couch, knife still in hand, and sat down by your feet. 

“I have a horrible headache and my arm is incredibly sore. But other than that I am fine.” You try to sound optimistic, but it is a feeble attempt. You bring your fist up to your eye to give it a good rub. 

“It is going to be sore for a little while, but you can take ibuprofen if it gets unbearable. As for your headache, once you get something in your stomach that isn’t caffeine, it should go away.” Harvey patted your knee and then went back over to the kitchen. 

“Hey, Harv?”

Without picking his eyes up from the cutting board, “hmm?”

“How much is this house visit going to cost me? Does my insurance cover eggplant parm?” You giggle slightly, but the question is serious. 

Harvey laughed down at his work and then looked over at you, “We will let this one slide.” 

You go to argue, but remember what he told you before about your stubbornness, “Thank you, Harvey.” 

You walk over to him and help him with dinner. You haven’t felt this way since you were a child, helping your grandfather out in this very same kitchen. There is an easiness about this situation that is unfamiliarly familiar to you. 

When you and Harvey finish making dinner, you sit down at your tiny dinner table. You can’t hold yourself back from completely diving into the cheesy dish. With a mouth full of hot pasta and eggplant you exclaim, “Wow!” 

Harvey looks over at you and loses it when he sees your face, “I’m glad you like it.” 

“It’s incredible, where did you learn to cook like that?” You ask his, genuinely curious. 

“My mother always wanted me to learn how to cook as a young boy, she said it was important for me to know how to take care of myself.” Harvey takes another bite of his pasta, “Boy would she be disappointed if she learned about my love for my microwave.”

“You don’t speak to her anymore?” You take a sip of water, headache slowly fading away. 

“She passed away when I was in high school. Then it was just my father and I, who I don’t really talk to. He was masculine and wanted me to pursue a career as a construction worker like him, but I’m not very good with manual labor. He was pretty toxic and abusive, and I had to cut him out.” He said all of that so nonchalantly, and it surprised you. 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I don’t have much family either.” You look down at your dish, suddenly without appetite. 

“Don’t apologize. I have made peace with everything.” His words are sincere, he means it. His capacity for forgiveness and compassion is admirable. “What’s your story?” 

You sigh, “My mother left my father and I when I was young. I had a good relationship with him. He and my grandparents really took me under their wing and tried their best to raise me. But my grandmother died of colon cancer and my grandfather died shortly after, he was heartbroken. Then, a year later, my father passed away in a car accident. So here I am, left to figure everything out on my own I guess.” 

Harvey looks at you with a gentle face, “One day I hope you find peace with everything too. However, for right now it is okay to not feel okay.” 

“Harv,” You brush some hair behind your ears. “When I first came in for that check-up, I told you that there wasn’t any history of cancer on my father’s side, but I just really didn’t want to get into this or think about it at the time. But my grandmother had colon cancer, so you’ll probably have to change that on my chart.” 

Harvey chuckled, “I’ll make a mental note of that.” 

You and Harvey finish dinner together, talking about lighter things like jazz and history. When you are finished Harvey gets up to do the dishes and you make your way over to start his laundry. When you return to the kitchen, Harvey is almost finished up with the dishes and clean up. You head over to the couch and throw on the TV, “Anything particular you want to watch while we wait for your laundry, Harv?” 

“Whatever you want.” He says, scaring you slightly as he sits down on the opposite end of the couch from you. _Here we are again. _

“Alien documentaries it is.” You say, excited. Harvey laughs and gets comfortable as you both settle in for an evening of conspiracy theories while you wait for his laundry. 

After two episodes of your favorite program, Harvey’s laundry is finally done, and there is a sadness that falls on you. You don’t really want him to leave. You lackadaisically make your way to the dryer and hang his clothes up on a hanger, steaming them to get out some wrinkles. You return to the living room and present Harvey with his clothes, “Ta-Dah!” 

“Did you iron them too?” Harvey said wide-eyed.

“No, I’m not that domesticated.” You let out a laugh, “BUT, I did steam them slightly for you.” 

Harvey gets up to take the hangers from you, “I really appreciate you doing this for me. Thank you.” 

“Well you came to my rescue and cooked me dinner, so I would say it’s a fair exchange.” You smile at him. 

Harvey checks his watch, “Well I should be getting home. I have a busy day on the farm tomorrow with Shane.” Harvey walked over to the door and you mindlessly follow him, opening the door for him. 

“I think we should hang out again sometime, Harv. I had an oddly good time.” You say to him, unable to make eye contact in that moment. Your heart is racing. 

Harvey looks solemn, “This was a professional visit, remember.” 

The words cut though you, “Oh right. I’m sorry. I just--” 

Harvey cuts you off, “It’s okay! Please don’t apologize.” 

You smirk slightly, the high you were on before just came crashing down around you. You had totally forgot about the circumstances that brought Harvey to your farmhouse. 

“Well,” he started, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Boss.” 

You watched Harvey walk away down the dirt path. Every part of you was aching to have him back with you. When you closed the door and made your way back into the farmhouse, you felt more alone than you ever have since moving to Pelican Town. You head over to the phone and dial the number for Alex, you need something to fill this emptiness inside of you. 


	7. Hard at Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the continued love and support! You all really are the greatest <3 :3

Harvey woke up that morning at 5:00am. Instead of putting on his typical dress clothes, he pulled out an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt he got for completing a half-marathon in med school. He has an old pair of hiking boots that he never got around to wearing as well and he slipped those on. Hopefully he doesn’t regret this decision later. 

He headed out of his building into the cool spring air, and made his way to the farmhouse. He kept replaying the evening he had with the farmer over again in his head. He felt like he belonged, and that wasn’t a feeling that he was used to in the slightest. He sincerely didn’t want to leave her last night, but knew he had to. They were only friends and he needed to make sure that he defined that for her. Plus, if he got involved with one of his patients, that would not be a satisfactory move for a medical professional. 

Halfway down the dirt road he saw a figure walking towards him. A bit of panic set in until he realized it was _Alex_. They passed each other and Alex gave him a friendly wave, “Thank again for those condoms, Doc.” 

Harvey nodded at Alex, once again resisting the urge to punch him in the face. _I should have known there was a reason she was so adamant about not asking Alex to help out today_. His stomach dropped. He allowed himself to get so caught up in the evening last night that there was a part of him that actually started to believe she was interested in him romantically. _Fuck_. Honestly, now, he didn’t even want to be going to see her. 

When he reached the farmhouse, he caught a glimpse of her in the kitchen. She was fumbling with the coffee pot, her hair pulled back into a neat braid. Harvey knocked on the door. When she opened it and saw him standing there, her mouth fell open, “Harvey it’s not 6 yet, you’re early!” 

**************************************************

_Oh my Yoba I hope he didn’t pass Alex. Fuck. Fuck._

“I thought I would stop by early and maybe help you with your bandages.” He said that without looking at you. 

“Right! Please come in!” The nervousness in your voice is apparent. 

You turn around and notice that Alex left his varsity jacket on your floor. Harvey noticed it and made a snarky comment, “Busy night?” He definitely wanted to jest, but the words came out passive aggressively. 

The redness in your cheeks turned on immediately as if someone had flipped a switch. The flush actually hurt. “I-I-”

Harvey laughed it off, “I’m joking, I passed Alex on my way here.” 

“It’s definitely not what you think--” You are desperate to explain to Harvey how you have absolutely no interest in Alex besides using him as a warm body. Honestly you aren’t even sure why you want to explain that to him, but you feel desperate to. 

“Please, you don’t need to explain! Just be careful with Alex, he’s pretty..... self-interested.” Harvey says while rubbing his neck. _Oh Harv, if you only knew._

“I really have no interest in a relationship with him. I’m the self-interested one.” You mumble under your breath and make your way over to the coffee pot. “How do you like your coffee, Harv?” 

“3 cream and no sugar.” He said while letting out a sigh. 

You make Harvey’s coffee and drop it off in front of him at the table, sitting down across from him and lacing your fingers through your hair. This whole situation has you extremely stressed out and you don’t totally know why. Usually you are more than happy to admit when you had sexual encounters, but this time, this time you are ashamed and reluctant. 

“So what are your plans today while we work tirelessly on your farm?” Harvey breaks the silence in jest. 

“I think I may read a book. I’m going to make you guys lunch, that’s a definite.” You look down at your arm, “Hey, can we clean this?” 

“Yoba! I totally forgot! Yes, let me see your arm.” He reaches a hand out for you to place your arm in. You hesitate for a moment, and then place your arm gingerly in his had. You watch as he becomes lost in his thoughts, there is something so enchanting about the way he works. He moved your arm in a way that made you wince.

“Sorry...” He didn’t break his attention from your arm. He unwrapped the last piece of fabric and you felt the cool air hit your arm, slightly stinging. “It’s swollen, but it looks pretty good. Do you have any bandages here?”

You point to the bathroom “In there, bottom drawer under the sink.” 

He nods, “Gotcha, keep your arm in this position until I come back.”

You oblige and wait until he returns back to your side, this time, he kneels down in front of you. Your eyes immediately are drawn to his thick, curly hair. All you want to do is run your fingers through it. You notice a piece of fuzz and you reach to grab it. When your fingers make contact with his hair, it is coarser than you imagined, but still incredibly soft. 

“Wh--” Harvey starts, now looking up at you. 

You show him the fuzz, “While you are healing me, I’m grooming you.” 

A bright red flush appeared on Harvey’s face and he let out a nervous laugh, he quickly turned his head back to your arm. He finished up quickly and removed himself from that vulnerable position he was in, “Okay! All done.” He walked back to his seat and reached out for his coffee mug, avoiding eye contact with you. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. 

“That must be Shane..” You say, making your way over to the door. When you opened the door, you were surprised to see both Shane and Alex.

“Alex?” You say totally confused. 

“Good to fucking see you too.” Shane said as he pushed passed you. 

Alex let out a laugh, “Quite the party you have going on in here. Kind of upset I didn’t get and invitation.” He winked at you and you suddenly had the strong desire to vanish. You could feel Harvey’s eyes on your back. 

“You’re fucking gross.” Shane said from somewhere behind you. 

Alex made a disgusted face at the two men behind you, “Lighten up, I just forgot my sports jacket.” With that, Alex pushed passed you too, but all you could do is look forward. You don’t even dare to look back at Harvey. 

“It’s on the floor by the couch.” You say flatly, bringing yourself to turn your head sideways. 

You can see Alex bend down in your periphery and pick up his green and yellow letterman jacket. _I can’t believe I’m casually fucking a guy who still wears his high school jacket._ He finally comes into view and gives you a wave before walking away, “You know where to find me if you need me.”

You slam the door, and brace yourself for what response you are going get. You slowly turn around and Harvey immediately realizes he is staring and turns around for his coffee. Shane on the other hand is a different story. 

“You realize you are fucking a guy who still wears a letterman jacket, right?” He says flatly from the coffee pot. You are completely frozen, no idea how to respond, but you notice there is a slight chuckle from Harvey. 

“You realize I’m in charge of making BOTH of you lunch today, right?” You try to diffuse the situation. 

Shane turns around, “Poison me, please. Make my day.” 

You should have known that that would have been the response you got from your friend. You walk over to Shane, glaring at him the entire way, even as you reach for the piece of paper laying next to him. 

You turn to face Harvey, but he isn’t there to meet your gaze. He looks sullen with his hand propping up his head as he traces the opening of your coffee mug. You pause to observe him for a moment, but it’s interrupted by Shane ripping the to-do list out of your hands. 

“Alright, Doc..... Looks like we have to chop some wood, break some stone, and gather some fiber.” Shane tries to make out the chicken scratch that is your hand writing. He turns to you, “Is this all?” 

You nod, “Yep, not too difficult. You guys really don’t have to sweat it too much. Just do what you can.” 

Harvey nods and Shane shoves the paper into your chest, “Let’s get this over with, Doc.” Harvey nods and motions to put his coffee mug in the sink, but you stop him by taking the mug out of his hand, “I got it Harv. Thank you.” 

Harvey just gives you a smirk, no reply. You watch as they leave your farmhouse, and you can’t help but feel awful for everything that just happened. You didn’t want anyone to really know about you and Alex, especially Harvey. There was something within your soul at that moment that made you incredibly upset. 

You head over to the sink and carefully wash the dishes, there were still a couple left over from your dinner last night as well. Looking at them made you feel even more guilty than you already felt. _Ugh. _You fill the sink up with hot water, adding your floral scented dish soap. You gently place the mug Harvey was using in the water, and scrub it with your dishcloth. The warm water sends a tiny shiver through your core. You carefully place all of the dishes in your dish rack to dry. After you are done, you turn around and look for more things to do, but you are pretty limited since your arm is still incredibly sore. 

You head over to your bookshelf and grab a book you were meaning to read on the history of witchcraft in the valley, and head out to sit on the porch. 

*********************************************

Before you knew it, lunch time had come around, and you made your way into your house to make some sandwiches for you new farmhands. You make a variety, everything from turkey to cucumber. You cut up some apples and head outside. You place the plates of food down on your little wooden side table. You head over to the banister and go to call both of the gentleman over for lunch. However, when you look at Harvey, you can’t help but to take a minute to admire him. The way his hair moves when he swings his axe is tantalizing. He looks incredibly sweaty, and there is a carnal feeling that builds in your stomach. 

“You know, instead of fucking around with Alex, you could have a stable relationship with Doc.” You jump, thrown completely out of your trance. You look over and Shane is leaning on the banister next to you. 

“Yoba don’t scare me like that!” You say, slightly gasping for a breath. 

“Why aren’t you acknowledging your feelings for him?” Shane is now looking at you incredibly serious. 

“Shane, I don’t have feelings for him. I just am attracted to the guy.” You say, trying to convince both Shane and yourself.

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” He retorts while poking you in the chest. 

“I don’t want a serious relationship, okay! I am perfectly happy ‘fucking around.’” You are starting to get extremely defensive. 

“Okay, then why not fuck around with Doc?” The smug look on Shane’s face infuriates you, “I’m sure he’d be down for a pounding.” 

You pick up a cucumber finger sandwich and shove it in Shane’s mouth. You turn to look at Harvey, “Hey! Come in for lunch!” 

Harvey gives you a wave and thrusts your axe into the tree he was working on. He briskly jogs over to you and Shane, “I’m exhausted, I don’t know how you have been doing this everyday.” Harvey lifts his shirt up to wipe sweat off of his head. You notice the trail of dark hair that disappears beneath his jeans and you swallow hard. Shane clears his throat next to you and you make eye contact with him. You make sure that he is aware of how fed up you are with him. 

“These are great! Thanks!” Harvey says to you, completely oblivious to the interaction happening between you an Shane. 

“Anytime Harv.” You say back to him, trying not to sound enthusiastic. 

“Yeah, these are delicious.” Shane says, still being smug and pretentious. 

You look over at Shane, unable to contain your frustration anymore, “Thanks Shane. Don’t Choke!” The words barely push their way out of your teeth. 

**************************************************************

Harvey wasn’t exactly sure why she was being so aggressive, but there was something alluring about her attitude right now. He let his mind wander as he stuffed another piece of turkey sandwich in his mouth. He tried not to stare too long in her direction, but it was hard not to linger. She was still in oversized t-shirt and sweatpants, and she had a cashmere robe loosely tied around her waist. She obviously wasn’t wearing a bra because every time she went to gesture at Shane her chest bounced ever so gently. Her hair was tied back into a braid that was borderline messy, but yet so incredibly neat. Everything about her essence was so stunning, it was hard not to be drawn in.

Shane started to make his way inside the house and she followed, determined to get the last word in, in the argument. Before she entered her home, she glanced back at him. The way she looks at him drives him wild. There is so much mystery in her gaze that all he can do is simply smile in her direction. Once the door is closed, Harvey turns to look out at the wilderness. There is so much potential in this piece of land, he can’t wait to see what she does with it.

Shane came barreling out of the farmhouse and gave Harvey quite the scare. When he turned around he saw the neurotic man and the farmer arguing over something that seemed incredibly serious. When they made eye contact with Harvey, they both shut up and went incredibly silent.

“Uhhh….” Harvey said with a mouthful of bread.

Shane laughed nervously, “we were just having a light hearted conversation about the flower dance.”

Harvey couldn’t help but raise a hand to his neck, rubbing it anxiously, “Oh? Are you both going?”   
He didn’t really care if Shane was going, but he was hoping to see the farmer there. He started to wonder what her figure might look like in a dress. Stop it. He had to shake off the thoughts.

“I am,” Shane said flatly, “Alone.”

Harvey nodded and then looked in her direction, “I am too, but I am bringing a friend from the city as my date.”

The words caused Harvey’s stomach to drop, “Oh I see.” Harvey tried to sound as neutral as he possibly could on the topic.

“How about you, Harv?” Her tone was eager.

“I am, I’ll probably be taking Maru as usual.” He stared intently at her face, trying desperately to read her expression; hoping for the slightest bit of jealousy. Instead, she turned to Shane and stated, “See, even Harv has a date. You need one too.” What is that supposed to mean?

Harvey looked at her confused, and to be honest, he felt totally undesirable. He really is in way over his head here, “Right, uh, well…. I’m going to get back to work so I can finish and head home.” He started to walk off of the porch, paying no attention to the two children fighting behind him. He should have known better than to hope for something more with her. Judging by the way that she interacts with Alex, She is really only interested in a good time. Harvey isn’t even sure if he would know how to do that even more. He walked over to where he laid his axe, picked it up, and took out his frustration on the remaining foliage that he had to cut down.


	8. Romance Novels

Harvey sat in his apartment with the window open, taking in the breeze. The air in the spring always smelled so fresh and clean. Saturday was typically a slow day at the clinic, so Harvey would sit up by his window and use his try to make contact with aircraft that fly over head. He has made contact a couple of times, but nothing really significant. 

The last week has been very depressing for Harvey. He has been actively distancing himself from the new farmer, there really is no point in getting close to her now. But for some reason he couldn’t shake her off his mind. _You are ridiculous. Stop it_. Harvey looked back down at his radio and began to fiddle with some of the nobs, hoping desperately for a release from his thoughts. 

*Ding*

Harvey took the headset he usually wears while radioing out to airplanes. He paused for a moment, thinking that he hear the door to the clinic open. Just as he is about to reach for his headset again, a voice rings out, “Harv?”

_Great. _“Hold on, I’ll be right down.” Harvey’s stomach dropped at the sound of her voice. He suddenly had the realization that it was the day that she was supposed to come in to have her stitches removed. He quickly grabbed his green sports coat and headed the down the stairs towards the clinic. He quickly stepped toward the door that opened to the lobby. When he opened it, he must have startled her. Her back was facing him and he saw her shoulders flinch just before she turned around. 

“Hey.” She said with and incredible smile and a small wave. 

“Hey,” He replied, his voice sounding much sweeter than he intended it to. “Uh.. follow me.” Harvey motioned to her to walk back with him to his office. He shortened his stride for her, and he noticed the faint tapping sound her feet made when they made contact with the floor. He opened the door to his examination room for her, and caught a large wave of scent from her shampoo. 

Harvey watched as she sat down and he also made his way over to the computer to pull up her information. “Alright, so you think they are ready to come out?” He put his hand out so she could place her arm in it. The feel of her arm in his large hand was so incredibly fragile, almost as if he could break it with one squeeze. “Hmmm... yes! It looks great! You took great care of this!”

“Thanks, Harv!” She looked up and smiled at him, and he had to physically restrain himself from pulling her into him for an embrace. 

Harvey stood up quickly and gathered the tools he needed to remove the stitches from her arm. He set up the table and made sure everything was completely sanitized. 

“Harv?” She said, breaking him out of his concentration. 

“Yes?” He said in reply. He secretly loved when she got his attention in this manner. There was so much innocence and kindness behind her tone; it drove him crazy. 

“How come you didn’t come to the egg festival?” Harvey looked over at her, kind of surprised by her question. 

“I-I was there.” Harvey rubbed a nervous hand across his neck, “I just like to stay out of view. I kind of wander off on my own...” 

“Oh. Why?” She’s making in incredibly hard for him to distance himself at this point. 

Harvey sighed and replied, “I just don’t like those kind of gatherings. I show up and talk for a little bit in the beginning and then just get exhausted.” 

“So you are an introvert, huh?” She asked with a giggle.

Harvey looked at her with a raised brow, “You are just figuring that out now?” 

Harvey sat down across from her and she immediately gave him her arm. He snipped the fibers that were binding her flesh together and gently pulled them out. “Alright, There you are!” 

She smiled down at her arm, intently observing the new scar on her arm. Suddenly, her smile faded, “I was looking for you...”

Harvey gave her a confused looked, “Pardon me?”

“At the Egg Festival, I was hoping to see you there.” She said, avoiding his gaze. Harvey sensed a great deal of disappointment in her voice, but the words she was saying made him incredibly happy. 

“Well you looked to be in good company with Alex.” He said involuntarily. When the reality hit him about what he just said, he slightly panicked, “I-I mean... I just--”

“So you were spying on me?” The smile on her face slightly eased some of the embarrassment that Harvey felt. 

“I just didn’t want to bother you is all.” He said rather meekly.

She picked herself up from the chair, “Well next time I want you to bother me. Besides, Alex is NOT good company.” 

Harvey wanted her to elaborate on that, but he knew better than to have another slip up. So he just tried to look at her as neutrally as possible. 

She looked back at him, “You’re judging me, aren’t you?” 

Harvey laughed, “I think you are projecting a bit of your shame on to me right now.” 

She was obviously flustered, “ I don’t like Alex, okay. He is just a warm body when I’m lonely.” 

“So you aren’t a commitment person I assume?” Harvey tried to keep his tone playful, but he was honestly curious to learn more about her. 

The question obviously struck a nerve with her, “No, not really.” 

They both stood silently in the exam room, unable to look at one another. The tension was incredibly thick, so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Suddenly, she started to gather her things, and without looking up at him she said, “I’ll see you later, Harv.” And motioned to leave.

Harvey instinctively reached out for her arm, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” 

Her large orbs looked up into his, “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just have a lot of soul searching to do and I don’t necessarily want to be like this either. It’s just..... this is how I have always been, so I guess you can say it’s habit.” 

Harvey looked down at her, and wanted nothing more than to caress her face and to assure her that everything would eventually pass. He couldn’t bring himself to, so he just let go of her arm, “You can talk to me whenever you are ready.” 

“Thanks Harv.” She replied softly. “Well... I better head out. I’ll see you around.” 

*****************

The walk from the clinic to the library was incredibly long. You kept replaying over and over the conversation that you had with Harvey. You wereseriously under the impression that you would move and start over, but you have so easily fallen into the same old habits. 

You walk in to the library and are immediately taken aback by how large the collection is. Given the size of Pelican Town, you would have never expected their library to be this gargantuan. You head over to the counter and an older gentleman in a ridiculous blue ensemble greats you.

“Oh, Good Afternoon! I don’t think we have met yet, I am Gunther. I run the Museum and Library. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask them!”

“Thanks Gunther, maybe you can point me in the direction of your historical fiction section?” You say pleasantly. 

Gunther points to a bookshelf far in the corner, “Right over there miss. You will certainly have your pick. It isn’t the most popular genre!”

You giggle, “I’m painfully aware. Thanks Gunther.” 

You march over to the bookshelf that Gunther referred you too and you are immediately drawn to a book called _A Fire in the Winter_. The book itself is incredibly appealing in that it’s black binding looks incredibly worn. You flip it over and read the description, apparently this is a romance novel that takes place during the Dark Ages._ Interesting._ You open the book and you notice tons of notes scribbled in the margins. This tempts you even more, there is nothing better than picking up an old book that is littered with the ideas of another. 

You take that book up to Gunther and request to take it out. 

“OH man, this one is a favorite of a resident. Hopefully they don’t notice it’s missing while you are reading it.” Gunther said as he logged you information into the computer. 

“Who? You have to tell me!” You say eagerly, practically throwing yourself over the counter. 

“Sorry, library confidentiality.” Gunther said as he handed the book back to you. “Take good care of it though!” 

You pout a little, but then hug the book close to your chest, “I will! Thank’s Gunther!” 

With a wave and a smile you are out the door, heading back to your farm house. You practically sprint home, filled with anticipation for reading the book. You stomp up the stairs and open the door to your house and flop onto the couch opening up the book.

Several hours passed and when you closed the book, you looked out the window to see total darkness. You had allowed yourself to get lost in the historical romance that now lay on your lap. You had fallen in love with the book, but even more so than that, you had fallen in love with the little notes that were let within the book. The analysis and commentary was such a wonderful addition to your experience. You flip the book open once more and run your fingers over some of the writing. It was delicate, yet incredibly messy. You can’t help but wonder about the individual who wrote in this book. You’ll definitely have to do some digging in the future to determine who in town loved this book so much. 

You head lazily into bed and throw the book on your nightstand. You lay there for a moment, and think about how wonderful the romance in the book was. Eventually, you drift off to bed dreaming of your own romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is only a short filler chapter! I am trying to set things up appropriately! There is another chapter coming out super soon so check back daily (:


	9. Flower Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was super excited to write this chapter! I hope everyone enjoys xo <3

You were up before your alarm this morning, excitement is coursing through your body. Today is the day that Merle arrives at your farmhouse and it is also the day before the Flower Dance. You scurry around your house, pounding cups of coffee and dusting like a madman. You want to make everything is perfect for your friend when he gets here. 

You freshen the bed sheets in the dryer and put new towels in the bathroom, lighting a candle on your way out. You look around and smile to yourself, the feel of your farmhouse is cozy. You figured you would miss your high rise loft, but at this point, you wouldn’t trade this for the world. 

You step across your hardwood floor and take in the creaking sounds with each pace. You take a rest on your couch and put on the morning weather while you wait for your guest. The weather looks incredible for tomorrow, sunny and breezy which is the perfect spring day. Your mind wanders to the dance and you can’t help but wonder what Harvey is going to look like all cleaned up. At that moment, you are snapped back to reality by a pounding at the door. You run over and open the door excitedly, but your face drops when Shane barges in.

“Nice to see you too.” He barks as he makes his way around you. 

“I was expecting someone! I’m just shocked.” You watch as he helps himself to a cup of coffee and takes a seat down at your kitchen table. “What’s up?”

Shane sighed, “I was just bored.” He brought the coffee cup up to his mouth and sipped, “What time does your date get here?” 

“Any minute now!” You say looking at the clock, “I’m excited that you will get to meet him first!” 

Shane rolls his eyes, but you know he is happy to be here. In fact, you are sure that this is the only reason that he is here right now. He’s good at pretending like he doesn’t care, but he’s incredibly interested to meet your friend. 

*knock**knock*

“That’s him!” You exclaim as you practically sprint to the door. You open the door and you see your old friend standing there, and you can’t help but pull him in for an embrace, “Merle!” 

Merle let out a hardy chuckle, “Missed you kiddo!” 

He still smelled like the city. You reached down and grabbed his bag from his and and motioned for him to come in, “Merle please come in!” 

The old man shuffled in around you, “This is a nice place you got here kid.” He looked around and spotted Shane at the table. Walking over to him, Merle reached out his hand, “You must be Shane? Nice to meet you.” 

You notice a look of shock on Shane’s face, “How’d you know?” 

Shane took Merle’s hand and gave him a shake. Merle points back at you and say, “She talks about you all of the time. Thanks for welcoming her here!” 

Shanes face is obviously flustered, it’s not everyday that people see his soft side-- let alone a stranger. Shane shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “Yeah, well.... don’t mention it.” 

You laugh in the background. Merle sits down at the table and starts talking to Shane, and you take his belongings into your bedroom. When you come back out, you see your two friends laughing over some coffee at the dinner table. You walk over to join them, “You guys seem to be getting along well!”

“Yeah, Merle is pretty great.” Shane said trying to act cool.

Merle scrunched his nose up at you, “Shane was shocked I was an old man.”

Shane quickly swallowed his gulp of coffee, “He’s got me there, I was expecting some kind of underwear model.”

Merle laughed out loud and jiggled his belly, “When I was young maybe.... definitely not now!”

“How did you both meet?” Shane glanced between both of you. 

“I was the doorman at her apartment building.” Merle replied plainly.

You add, “One day I came home from work and I was completely exhausted, and Merle here offered me half of his hoagie.... we have been close ever since.”

Merle smiled at Shane, “We used to have lots of late night talks when I worked third shift. She always made sure I was taken care of!”

If you weren’t mistaken, you could have swore that a smirk appeared on Shane’s face, “That’s pretty awesome.”

“Well it’s awesome that you made her feel welcome,” Merle added, “I’m happy she made a friend in you Shane!” 

Shane’s face turned red again, it’s obvious that he doesn’t get this kind of attention frequently. Shane chuckled and ran a shaky hand through his hair. 

You change the subject to make Shane comfortable again, “I can’t wait for you to meet everyone else, Merle!”

Merle gave Shane a sly grin, “Will I be meeting someone named Harvey tomorrow?” 

Shane nearly spit out his coffee, “You sure will!” 

“Oh I can’t wait for that!” Merle added, givingyou a wink. You felt you cheeks burn and you threw your hands over your face. In an attempt to make Shane feel better, the conversation made an unbearable turn. 

“Guys stop,” you mutter through your hands, “We are just friends.” 

Merle piped in, “You deserve to be happy with someone, kiddo. You should allow yourself this, at least try it out! When you talk about this doctor you light up.” 

“I really don’t know what you are talking about.” You say trying to remain composed. 

“Has she always been like this Merle?” Shane inquired.

Merle gave Shane a hefty nod, “Always. She likes to fill the void in her soul with dumb handsome boys.” 

Now you are completely mortified, “Merle!” 

“Damn that must be why she is always calling up Alex..... has she told you about him?” Shane’s tone was completely serious. 

“Shane!” you shout, now looking at him. 

Merle begins to reply as if you don’t even exist, “Oh yeah, she’s filled me in on him alright.”

Shane lets out an airy laugh and shakes his head, “Of course.” 

Silence falls over the table and Merle and Shane are smiling at each other while you are glancing between them in horror. These two men that sit in front of you are some of the people you have grown closest with over the last couple of years. There is a slight amount of frustration that consumes you, “Listen I don’t want a romantic relationship. And I also haven’t called Alex in a while, I don’t want to live like that anymore. It’s complicated.” 

Merle reached over and put his hand on top of yours, “I can’t speak for Shane, but I just want your heart to be happy. It deserves to let go and love.” 

You pull your hand away, “Thank you, but I’m doing just fine alone.” 

Shane snorts, “Sure.” 

You let out a defeated noise, “Can we please just drop it?” 

Both of you friends shrug and shake their heads. You are tired of people telling you that you will be happier in a relationship. You know that’s false. Relationships lead to stress and heartbreak regardless of the connection. You can’t deal with that again. 

After that, Shane and Merle change the topic to gridball and horror movies. Shane stayed well into the evening, and you ordered food from the Stardrop for dinner. After Shane left, you and Merle stayed up and watched one of the horror movies Shane suggested earlier in the day. It was alright, but definitely not as terrific as he made it out to be. When it came time for bed, it took some convincing to get Merle to sleep in your room; he insisted he would be fine on the couch. Eventually he caved and went into bed, leaving you to your pullout couch in the living room. As you lay there, you can’t help but think about the conversation about Harvey. There was an odd feeling in your chest, but eventually it dissipated enough for you to fall asleep for the evening. 

_ ******************* _

You didn’t sleep as well as you hoped. Merle was up several times in the night to go to the bathroom, and he’s not necessarily graceful when he walks around in the dark. When the sun comes in through the windows of your farmhouse, it gentle eases you into the conscious world. The first thing you do is make a pot of coffee. Not long after, Merle comes out of your room, “Good Morning! How’d you sleep?” 

You lie, “Terrific! How about you?” 

Merle stretches a little bit, “Eh, I was up a bunch. It’s weird sleeping in silence.”

You enthusiastically agree, “I know! The first two weeks I had to adjust to that. It definitely wasn’t easy.” You walk over to your friend and hand him a cup of coffee. 

Merle inhales the aroma, “This smells great.” 

You shake your head in agreement as you sip from your own cup. You both take in the moment, and then finally you break, “Well I should go get ready, the dance starts in two hours.” 

Merle agrees with you and you head into your room to curl your hair and do your make up. By the time you are dressed and ready, an hour has already passed. You look at yourself in the mirror and admire how much your figure has changed in such a short amount of time. You fit perfectly into the powder blue, chiffon dress that you were never comfortable wearing before. You grab the book you borrowed from the library and walk out into the living room.

Merle looks at you, “You look resplendent.” 

You smile, “Thanks, Merle.” 

“I’m gonna go get dressed now too.” He says as he waddles into your bedroom, closing the door behind him. While he is getting ready, you sit down at the kitchen table and open the book you have grown to love, rereading all of handwritten notes. You have become strangely attracted to the person who wrote in this book, and you don’t even know who that is. 

After some time, Merle walks out into the living in a blue suit, “Well who is this handsome young man?”

Merle laughs, “You flatter me.” 

“I mean it! You look great Merle!” Looking at him, you can tell that he was an incredibly good-looking man in his youth.

“Right back at you! I’m the luckiest guy in all of Pelican Town.” He throws you a little wink. 

You giggle and smile at him, “ Are you ready to head out?” 

Merle nods, “After you!” 

You and Merle line arms as you make your way to the event. Merle remarks at the natural beauty your new home holds, and you completely agree with him. It’s great to be reunited with your friend and it’s even greater to experience a slower circumstance with him. 

You pull up to the festivities and are immediately greeted by Pierre.

“Hi Pierre!” You say kindly.

“Good day, miss!” He says back to you, but he is looking directly at Merle.

“Pierre, this is my date Merle.” You say gesturing towards your friend.

“Nice to meet you Merle! Can I interest you in a flower for your beautiful date here?” Pierre is constantly trying to push his merchandise on everyone. Strangers are no exception.

“I would love to!” Merle says reaching for his wallet. 

“Merle! That’s not necessary, I don’t--” You try to convince him to put his wallet away, but he just shushes you. 

“Nonsense. You are at a dance! you should have one.” Merle picks out a small lily that fits nicely onto your wrist. You incessantly thank him for his generosity. 

You weave your way through the towns people, everyone is giving you a compassionate stare. Jodi, Marnie, and Caroline are all whispering to each other as you pass them; you can only imagine what they are saying about you. 

You reach the punch bowl and introduce Merle to Sam and Abigail. You look around for Sebastian but he is looming underneath a tree, totally regretting his decision to participate in this dance. You can’t help but to giggle under your breath. You feel a slight tap on your shoulder, and when you are turned around you are face-to-face with handsome incarnate. 

Harvey is standing there smiling down at you. He looks so incredibly dapper in his blue suit, and his hair is curlier than ever, “Hey there.” 

Flustered, you begin to play with the bottom of your dress, “Hi, Harv.” 

Just the mention of his name is enough to get Merle to whip around. He closes the short distance between both of you, “Doctor Harvey!” He reaches out his hand to shake it, Harvey is more than happy to oblige him. “I have heard so much about you. I feel like I’m meeting royalty right now.”

Your whole face ignites and you give Merle a look to shut up, which he happily ignores. 

“Oh wow, really! I hope all good things.” Harvey says nervously.

Merle shakes his head, “Oh absolutely.” 

Harvey smiles between you and Merle, “Are you escorting this young woman to the dance today?” 

Proudly, Merle answers him, “I most certainly am.”

You smile over at Harvey, hoping this conversation doesn’t take a turn. There is an odd look of relief on Harvey’s face. At that moment, you can’t help but notice that his tie looks a little crooked. You reach up impulsively and begin to fix it for him. 

When you are done, you realize what just happened, “I- I’m sorry.” 

Harvey rubs his neck, “It’s okay, I don’t really have anyone to help me with this stuff so I appreciate it.” He looks down at you and you lock eyes for a moment. _Those piercing green eyes_.When the moment breaks, you turn to look at Merle, but he is already talking to Maru. 

A song comes on and Emily rushes over to you and grabs your hand, “Come on! Dance with me!” You look back at Harvey and he motions for you to accompany her.

You feel slightly embarrassed at first, but the feeling quickly passes. Your blue-haired acquaintance has an aura about her that make it easy for you to lose yourself. Before you know it, you are both laughing and dancing like no one is watching. You haven’t felt this free in quite some time; it is invigorating. 

After a few faster songs, Mayor Lewis comes to the center to announce that it is time for the annual flower dance. You rush over to Merle but he is sitting down on the bench and Maru is checking his blood pressure, “Merle! Is everything okay?” You say looking at him in a panic. 

Maru chirps in, “He just got a little dizzy is all.” She turns to look at Harvey, “Do you mind if I sit out this year? I want to make sure he is okay.” 

Harvey looks happy, “By all means, Maru!” 

Merle looks at you with a wink, and then turns to Harvey, “Doc, why don’t you dance with my date? I would hate for her first dance to be ruined because of an old dinosaur.” _That old bastard._

“Oh no Harv, tha--” You begin, but Harvey has already extended his hand out to you. 

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” His voice was as silken as ever. 

You look at Merle, and then back at Harvey, with a sigh, you take his soft, gentle hand. When you make your way to all of the other couples, everyone whispers and stares at you. 

“Harv?” You say anxiously. 

“What is it?” He coos back at you. 

You look around, “Everyone is looking at us.” 

With a soft chuckle, he replies, “I didn’t notice.” 

The words make your head snap in his direction. When you meet his gaze you are greeted with the warmest smile you have ever seen in your entire life. There is a mildness to his face that drives you crazy. His eyes are on you and only you. 

When the music starts, you expect to fumble around to find your footing. However, Harvey eases you into his rhythm and your synchronization is inevitable. You flow and float across the patch of land you are dancing on, never missing a single beat. You are honestly surprised by how coordinated Harvey is, you would have never guessed he had the potential to lead you in dance. You try not to let yourself go, but your will power crumbles. You find yourself in a trance while wrapped in Harveys arms. 

The music stops, and everyone separates-- except you and Harvey. You look up into his eyes and he is there to meet you. His grip on your waist tightens, begging you to come in closer to him, “You are beautiful.” 

You push off of Harvey and brush a piece of hair behind your ear, “Thanks for the dance.” You say under your breath as you run back to Merle, frantically trying to avoid anymore intimate contact with Harvey. 

When you greet him on the bench, he has a smug look on his face, “You two looked cozy out there.” 

You realized Harvey had followed you over to the bench, you turn around to say something to Merle but he beat you to it, “Hey Doc, why don’t you come over tonight? It’s my last night here and I’d love to get to know you better! Plus I would feel more comfortable with you there after my dizzy spell.” 

You turn around to say something to Harvey, but once again the words don’t come out of your mouth fast enough. Harvey agrees to entertain Merle. _Fuck. _

Everyone’s attention is brought to Lewis as he get ready to crown the Flower King and Queen. To no surprise to you, Hayley and Alex are crowned and they can barely keep their hands off of one another. You feel slightly guilty looking at how head over heels Hayley is for Alex. You turn away because you would rather not think about it. 

“Well, what do you say? Let’s head home!” Merle looks at both you and Harvey. You make a mental note to never invite him here again. 

On the walk back to your farmhouse, Harvey talks to Merle about a new plane model that he is currently working on. Merle is more than happy to listen and ask questions. Planes have always been something that Merle has taking a liking too. 

You finally reach the farmhouse and you open the door for the two gentlemen who have totally seemed to have forgotten about your existence. You rush into your room and swiftly close the door behind you. You take a moment to gather yourself, and then you slip out of your dress and into your favorite pair of sweatpants and an old college T-shirt. You grab a makeup wipe and rub all of the junk off of your face and throw your hair into a neat braid. 

When you head back out to your kitchen, Merle is already opening a bottle of wine and Harvey is shuffling a deck of cards. 

You sit down across from Harvey and feel his eyes on you, but you stop yourself from looking at him. Merle sits down and pours everyone a glass of wine, “Figured we could all talk over a card game.” 

You give Merle a half-hearted smirk. Suddenly, Harvey bursts out, “A Fire in the Winter! This is my favorite book in the library.” Suddenly, it has become incredibly hard to swallow. 

“Oh yeah?” Merle asks curiously.

Harvey picks up the book, “Yes! I even have all of my footnotes in here.” He flips through the pages to show Merle. “If I knew someone was going to read this eventually I would have never wrote in it. Sorry about that.” 

“No!” The words fly out of your mouth, “I-I mean..... well.... I love it actually. I have read your notes so many times.” You can’t believe that the writing in the book belongs to Harvey. You manage to glance at him and he has a glorious half-smile on his face. You return the favor and bother of you linger in the stare until Merle clears his throat. 

Harvey deals out the cards and you play a couple hands until you all finish your wine glass. You feel light on your feet knowing that Harvey is the one who wrote in your book, and it honestly drives you crazy. You let yourself enjoy the conversation and you learn a lot about both Harvey and Merle. Things that you would have never guessed. Harvey was apparently a huge party animal in college, and Merle was a cheerleader in high school. You even find yourself letting secretive information slip, things that you never told anyone in your past before. You feel good, and that’s why when Merle calls it a night, you can’t help but to feel slightly empty. 

You and Harvey sit in silence for a bit until he gets up, “Well I guess I should get go--”

You stop him by blurting out, “Want to watch a movie?” You aren’t sure why you don’t want him to leave, but you are hoping he stays a little longer. 

Harvey looks over at the clock, and then back at you, “I guess I can squeeze in a movie.” 

You smile and let out a sigh of relief, “You’re pick, I picked last time.”

Harvey takes off his suit jacket and loosens his tie. You both make your way over to the couch where Harvey pick an old movie about World War II. Not even half-way into the opening credits, he asks, “So you really likes my notes, huh?” 

You feel a slight blush on your cheeks, “Yeah, I did. I love when books have writing in them.”

You look over at Harvey and you see that he is smiling to himself. There is something so innocent about the way he looks, you can’t help but to lean your head on his shoulder, “I feel like I should be thanking you for today.”

Harvey shivers slightly at your weight, “Really?” 

You shake your head, “Yeah, I can’t really describe it.... but it’s great.” 

Harvey just let out a gentle chuckle and you grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the couch, throwing it over both of your legs. You both silently watch the rest of the movie, but you can feel yourself becoming increasingly dozy. You try to force yourself awake, but you are intoxicated by the comfort you feel and everything eventually fades to black. 

*****************

You wake up around 4:00am and it takes you a moment to realize the situation you are in. The blue light from the TV blinds you and you seem to be sleeping on a foreign object. _Yoba... Harvey._ You have somehow ended up in between his legs with your head resting comfortably on his stomach. You get up quickly and try to wake Harvey up with a gentle nudge. Finally you say his name in a raised tone of voice, jarring him awake. 

He is temporarily blinded by the TV light as well, squinting almost immediately, “Fuck.” Did Harvey just curse? 

Finally when he has full awareness he looks at you, “OH.” You both shuffle on the couch to disconnect from one another. The warm of his body is now replaced with cold morning air. “I’m so so sorry. I must have just fallen asleep after you....”

You laugh, “It’s okay. We had a long day.” 

Harvey exhales through his nostrils and smirks. He gets up to grab his coat and then heads to the door. You meet him there and whisper, “Thanks for everything.” 

He reaches his hand up to brush a piece of hair out of your face, “Anytime.” 

Your hear soars as you watch him leave your farmhouse. You aren’t sure of exactly what you are feeling in the moment, but you do know that you are stopping by the clinic today to drop him off some pick-me-up coffee. 


	10. Kisses and Cobbler

Harvey nearly skipped home after his interaction with the farmer. There was something so beautiful about the moment, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He must have just drifted off to sleep himself after she did on the couch. An image of her natural face on top of him practically made his toes curl in passion. There is still a sensation between his thighs from where she was pressed up against him. Every cell in his body wished to run back to that farmhouse. 

He pulled up to the clinic and reached for the keys in his pocket. Looking up at the window to his apartment, he suddenly became faced with his own loneliness. Reality hit him like a truck, and the reality is that he is the oldest bachelor in town who lives in a tiny, cold apartment above his workplace. With a sigh he pushed the door open, turning back only to lock it. He climbed his way up the stairs like he has so many times before, and opened the door to his apartment. 

When the door swung open he took a deep breath, and threw the keys on his side table. The crashing sound they made was rather unpleasant and caused him to flinch slightly. Harvey debated on what he should do. It was still rather early, but it would be pointless to sleep at this point. He casually removed his clothing, pausing a moment when he smelled the farmer on his shirt to take in the sensation. He made his way into the shower, and started to get ready for his day. 

\-----------------------

Harvey had been in his office all morning getting a head start on paper work. When Maru walked in at 8:30am, he was surprised by how fast his time had passed. 

“Hey Doc.” She said peeking her head around the corner. 

Harvey looked over the top of his glasses frames at her, “Hey, Maru. I’m just finishing up some paper work, you mind opening up when it is time?” 

Maru shook her head, “Not at all, sir.” Harvey returned his gaze to the paper on his desk, but Maru lingered in the doorway.

“Uh, Sir?” Maru asked shakily. 

“Yeah, Maru?” Harvey replied robotically. 

“Are you...uh... are you and the farmer a thing now?” She asked, averting her gaze. 

The words froze Harvey in place, “Why in the world would you think that?” He could only imagine how timid he looked. 

Maru sighed, “We were all talking about it at the after party. You guys just looked really close is all.”

Harvey forced a smile away, “Well it doesn’t matter what everyone _thinks_, we are just friends. Plus I would have been dancing with you if her date hadn’t fallen ill.” He tried to shake off the giddy feeling in his chest. 

Maru looked incredibly suspicious, “Doc, you don’t look at me the way you look at her. The only other time I’ve ever seen that look on your face is when I hand you a cup of coffee. And that look is for the coffee, never for me.”

“What’s your point in all of this?” Harvey was getting slightly frustrated.

Maru walked over to his desk and sat down in front of him, “My point is, Doc, that you should do something for yourself for once. As your friend I want you to be honest about your feelings.” 

Harvey didn’t know how to respond. This was the first time Maru ever called him her friend, and it stopped him in his tracks. He looked over at the clock, desperate to change the subject, “We should open up now, don’t you think?” 

Maru defeatedly got up from the chair, “Yeah, I think so.” 

Harvey listened to her footsteps as she left his office. He stared at the wall in front of his desk for what felt like years. He replayed the conversation he had with Maru and the evening he had with the farmer. He really did care for that woman, and there was so much about her that he was fond of. But there was a part of him that worried he had pushed her away after last night and the dance. She’s the kind of girl to pull away when things get even slightly serious. 

Harvey heard the bell to the clinic door open and then he heard Maru call for him. _Great, it’s going to be one of those days_. 

When he made his way behind the counter he was shocked to see the farmer’s bright eyes looking up at him.

“W-what are you doing here? Harvey asked breathlessly.

He watched a smile form on her face as she placed a cup of coffee on the countertop, “I thought you would need this.” 

Harvey could feel Maru’s smile from the corner of the room, this had to be a dream. He reached down and picked up the cup and breathed in the aroma of coffee beans. He looked back at the young woman behind the counter and smiled, “Your assumption was right, I did need this.” 

They both smiled at each other for several moments, finally, Maru broke the silence, “Hey, Doc, I’m just going to be in your office filing some paper work.” She disappeared through the swinging doors in a hurry.

Harvey noticed the farmer was shaken by the sound, “Oh I’m sorry, I should get going too.”

A pit formed in Harvey’s heart, but he had work to do too, “Thank you for the coffee.” 

She gave him one last smile before walking to the doors. Harvey had every intention on watching her walk away from the clinic, but she stopped at the doors. Finally she turned around, “Harv?” 

He gave her a soft look, “Yeah?” 

She ran a hand through her hair, “Can I make you dinner tonight?”

Harvey nearly dropped the mug of coffee in his hands, “W-what?”

She shrugged, “I um... I just never repaid you for that evening you took care of me. I would really like to come over and cook for you.” 

Before Harvey could even form an intelligible thought he replied, “I would love that.” 

“Cool.” She replied in a manner that lead Harvey to believe that she was holding back emotion. 

Harvey couldn’t hold back his happiness, “You can come over around 6? I’ll leave the clinic door open for you.” 

She nodded and smiled, “I look forward to it.” And with a wave of her hand she exited the clinic, making her way over to Evelyn who was just starting to prepare the town gardens for summer. He could watch her all day.

\--------------------------------

Your heart beats fast as you walk away from town back to your farm. You sincerely hope that Merle is up when you get back to your farmhouse because you have a lot of questions and concerns. 

When your farmhouse comes into view, you can see Merle through your window packing his things. _Thank Yoba_. You increase your pace and you barge into your house. Merle curiously looks around the corner of the door frame at you, “In a hurry?” 

“I offered to cook dinner for Harvey tonight.” You say in a monotone voice as you dramatically throw yourself into a chair. When you look over at Merle, there is a wide smile on his face. 

“Good for you kiddo!” His enthusiasm is incredibly sincere. 

You shake your head, “Why did I do that?” 

You hear Merle chuckle and he walks over to take a seat next to you, “You have romantic feelings for that man.”

Tears start to form in your eyes. You know he is right, but you don’t want him to be, “I don’t want to, Merle. I’m scared of all of this.” 

You lay your head down on the table and cry. Merle reaches his hand to your back and gently soothes you, “Why are you scared?” 

Through sobs, you manage, “ I just, I don’t know? I don’t want to be heartbroken again Merle.” 

Merle lets out a low hum, “You know, we live in a culture that thinks the only experiences that are worthy of our time are pleasant ones. But I think that’s bullshit. Heartbreak and grief, well kid, they show us more about love than anything else. When I lost my wife, I felt so lucky to have something that made saying goodbye so hard.” 

You pick yourself up off of your table, leaving little pools of tears in your place, “What if he doesn’t feel this way about me?” 

Merle rolled his eyes, “I can tell you for certain that he feels the same way. The way he looks at you is special, kid.” 

“This is so hard, Merle.” 

Your friend smiles softly at you, brushing away your tear soaked hair from your cheek, “I know and that is okay. But I think it speaks volumes that you are considering even trying with this guy.”

You nod your head in agreement, you also thought that to be true. You have never allowed yourself to feel this way before. “So what should I make?” You ask with a sniffle.

“Well,” He starts, bringing a hand to his chin to think, “You should definitely make that cherry cobbler you made for me that one time. That was the best cobbler I ever had.” 

You can help but laugh, “You are just trying to cheer me up.” 

Merle shrugs, “That may be true, but it doesn’t make what I say false!” 

You look at him, “Would you make it with me before you leave?”

“Will I be allowed to learn your secret recipe?” He asks with a brow raised.

Sarcastically you reply, “If you promise not to meddle the next time you visit.”

Merle thinks for a minute and then shakes his head, “Nah, not worth it.” 

\-------------------------------

You and Merle spent your remaining time baking and enjoying each other’s company. That’s why your walk to the bus stop felt so hollow and lonely. You hate saying goodbye to your friend, but you will definitely be inviting him to one of the summer events. 

Merle turned to look at you, “Well kid, I’ll see you soon! Thanks for having me!” 

Tears form in your eyes again, “I’ll miss you, and thank you for everything.” 

You both embrace each other, and you watch as your friend starts to climb onto the bus. He looks back at you, “Let me know how your evening goes!” 

“I will!” you shout back at him as the doors close.

You watch as the bus fades from your view. You walk over to the bench where you set all of your belongings down and pick up your cobbler and groceries. You make your way into town, anxiety becoming stronger with each step. You reach the doors of the clinic and take a deep breath, reaching for the handle. You climb up the steps and knock on the door.

“Come in,” Harvey’s husky voice calls out to you. 

You open the door and you look over to see Harvey at the sink, frantically washing dishes. He looks over at you and pushes his glasses up with the top of his wrist, “Sorry! I don’t usually have company so I am just trying to tidy up a bit. Set everything down on the table.” 

You smirk to yourself, you adore how neurotic Harvey can be at times. You look over and watch as he washes dishes, admiring how simple of a man he is. He wears the same color scheme daily, and his hair is always messy, yet somehow neat. You walk over to him and grab a towel.

“Oh pleas, you don’t have to!” He says horrified, reaching his hand out to stop you. 

You chuckle and gently lower his hand with yours, “I don’t mind in the slightest.”

You and Harvey finish up the dishes and he makes his way over to the table, “So what are we having?” 

You meet him at the table, “Well I thought maybe we could have some garlic butter steak with some mashed potatoes.” You looks through your bag of groceries, “Oh! and Merle and I made cherry cobbler for dessert.” 

“That sounds incredible! What do you need me to do?” He asks kindly.

You pick up your grocery bag and walk over to the kitchen counter, “Absolutely nothing. I’m taking care of you tonight, remember?” 

There is a flush that forms over Harvey’s face which in turn makes your face turn red as well. You start in the grocery bag and frantically pull out all of the materials you brought. Harvey takes a seat down at the table and picks up a plane magazine that looks incredibly worn. By the looks of it you swear this is his billionth time reading it. You like that Harvey is so loyal to the things that he love. 

“So how was Merle’s last night?” He said, flipping the page of his magazine. 

“It was great! He loved you, you know.” You say smiling. 

Harvey let out a chuckle, “He is a pretty swell guy, I must say.” 

“He really is.” You say as you mince some garlic, “He always took care of me in the city, he is like a father to me.” 

“I’m happy that you have him. How was he feeling this morning?”

You laugh to yourself and look over at Harvey, “You know he was just faking right?” 

Harvey looked at you confused, “What do you mean?”

You turn back you your vegetables, “Yeah, we are just pawns in his clever game. He really just wanted you to dance with me.” 

Harvey is silent for a moment and then he mutters something under his breath, “Well, I’ll have to thank him the next time he visits.” 

You drop the knife on the counter when you hear these words. It’s enough to motivate you to tell Harvey how you feel. You turn to look at him, but the words don’t come out. There is a look on Harvey’s face that tells you that he understands. 

As if you are being controlled by a remote, you stomp your way to him. Before you reach him he stands up, almost knowing what you are about to do. You reach up to grab his face while he simultaneously wraps his arms around your waist. You land your lips onto his, and in that moment you realize you will never be able to have enough of him. 


	11. Update

*** I had an unexpected death in my family. I am sorry for the delay, I am hoping to release on Monday evening. Thank you for your patience***


	12. True 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support this last week! I was hoping to release yesterday, but I needed one more day with my family before I returned to reality. I am going to be back on my weekly schedule and I am so sorry for the deviation! 
> 
> You are all so wonderful <3

You kiss Harvey deeply, unable to control your emotions any longer. It takes a moment, but Harvey allows himself to let go in that moment as well. All of the other sounds of the world are quiet and still, urging you to relish in the other. The feeling of his mustache on your skin makes you tremble slightly. One of Harvey’s hands moves from your lower back up in between your shoulder blades. The sensation gives you both a feeling of helplessness and security. 

You pull back slightly and you and Harvey both stand there breathlessly. You caresses the tip of your nose against his, drawing small circles. You whisper, “I’m sorry I have been horrible, Harv.”

He doesn’t reply, at least not verbally. He straightens up and pulls your head onto his chest and embraces you there. You listen to the rapid thud of the muscle in his chest. You can only imagine how rapid your heart is beating. You nuzzle your head against his chest, breathing in his natural smell. You melted together so well and this was your forever moment. It’s hard to think of a time before him anymore, as if this is how it has always been. 

Harvey pressed his nose into the top of your head and took a deep breath in. He pushed you away slightly to look at him, effortlessly he claims, “From the moment I met you, this is all I have been able to think about.” 

Tears start to swell up in your eyes, “Harv.....”

You attempt to look away, but Harvey catches your chin in his hand, “Talk to me.” 

“This terrifies me.” A single tear rolls down your cheek, and he is there to wipe it away. A gentle smile forms on his face and he replies, “Me too.” 

You are shocked at the honesty behind his response. You were expecting for him to give you a list of a million reasons why it would be okay. This was, somehow, much more refreshing. You both sit down at his table. There is a great deal of silence. You glance over at him and he does the same. For a moment it starts to feel like a game of cat-and-mouse. 

When you feel the time is right, you start, “I’ve never had romantic feelings like this before, Harv. Like not even for a minute. I’ve always avoided it.”

Harvey stretched back in his chair, running his hands through this thick hair, “Neither have I. I have never had time.”

“So....” You say, looking down at your lands in your lap. 

You hear the creaking of Harvey’s chair. He reaches for your hands and pulls them up to his lips. Placing sweet kisses on your knuckles, “So, we should just start spending time together. Just like this. If you want something more than just a hookup, that is. I can assure you now that my heart wouldn’t be able to handle that heartbreak.” 

“And what happens when you leave or die?” You ask totally serious. 

Harvey looks at you with wide eyes, “DIE?” A chuckle escapes his throat, “Well I think we would have a while until we crossed that bridge. As for the other thing, I’m not much of a heartbreaker anymore.” 

“Anymore?” your curiosity has peaked. 

Harvey shifted uncomfortable in his chair, “Med school was a different time in my life.”

You feel a surge of panic, “So what happens when you get sick of me? Or another new farmer moves in?” 

Harvey cuts you off before you could ramble off another hypothetical situation, “Listen, from the moment you moved here I haven’t been able to think about anything else. It’s always been you in that little black dress talking about jazz music in the Saloon.” Harvey gets down on a knee in front of you and reaches a hand for your face. “I can’t promise you anything about our future, but I can promise you that the way I feel right now is unlike anything I have ever felt before.”

You adore his rationality in the moment. You bring your lips to the palm of his hand and give it a dainty kiss, “All we have is the moment.” 

Harvey smiles, “Precisely.” He gets up to his feet and pulls you off of the chair into his arms for a hug, “And right now I’m starving, let’s make dinner together tonight.” 

You sigh, still slightly uneasy about what you have started, “That would be lovely.” 

Harvey lets you go and you both walk over to the counter to prep the food. Harvey finished the butter-garlic mixture and you prepare the potatoes. Every now and then you look over at Harvey to catch a glimpse of what he is doing. You love the way his face looks when he is focused on a task. You finish the potatoes before he does, and you press yourself up to Harvey’s back, wrapping your arms around his stomach. Harvey continues his duties with a laugh.

“Thank you for being patient.” You say to him

“Thank you for being open to new experiences.” He coos back at you. 

You linger behind Harvey a little longer, and finally he finishes. You watch as he pour his mixture over the steak and puts it in his oven to broil. You take a seat on his couch and wait for him to come over. When he is close enough you pat the spot next to you to usher him in. When he sits down you immediately tackle him down onto the couch. You both lay facing one another, scrunched up on on his tiny red sofa. He carefully brushes your hair behind your ear with his finger, and you take this as an invitation to lace your hands in his hair. 

“It’s even thicker than I thought it would be.” You say in a hushed voice to yourself. 

Harvey teasingly raises his brow at you, “You thought about my hair now, did you?” 

You feel your face flush slightly, “Of course. I dreamed of getting my fingers tangled in it.” 

He bit his lip into a smile, “What else you were curious about?” 

You can only imagine how bright your face was now. You want to tell him about all of the times you thought about him pounding you into a mattress, but now isn’t the time. Instead you pull him in for a kiss and suck on his bottom lip, this time relishing in the feel of it. Harvey drapes his arm around you and slowly kisses you, grazing your lips with his tongue.

You go to pick up the pace, but Harvey laughs and pulls away, “You know, for a girl who is so painfully aware of the fleeting quality of life, you certainly like to rush kisses.” Before you have time to feel embarrassment, Harvey pulls you in for a deep, long kiss. When he parts from your lips, he whispers, “Slow down.” 

There is suddenly a hot feeling in between your legs. He’s right. You are so used to quick hookups, that you haven’t had time to experience anything else. You take the time to explore the taste of him, feeling the weight of his arm wrapped across you. The pressure of his lips on yours. You vow to memorize every single sensation.

The buzz of the oven interrupts your studies, and Harvey gets up to get everything set up. You find yourself angry and frustrated at the oven. You walk over to the table and take a seat, and Harvey sets a plate in front of you.

“What do you want to drink?” Harvey says, making his way over to the refrigerator. 

You think for a moment, “What do you have?” 

“Uhh... milk... water... lemonade... wine?” He says, now bent in half standing in front of the opened refrigerator. 

“Just water, thank you.” You don’t want alcohol to influence anything about the evening. 

Harvey brings over a glass of water for you and a cup of coffee for himself. You sit down and enjoy your dinner together, talking about history and planes. You enjoy listening to Harvey talk about his passions, and you especially love the way his eyes light up when he does so. You find yourself enamored by the sharp details of his face. Your eyes walk their way from his distinguished jawline up to his cheekbones. You haven’t had the opportunity to observe him this intently until now. 

After dinner you both clean up together. You wash the dishes while he dries them, laughing and playing in the suds every now and then. When you wrap up, it is very late in the evening. You look over at the clock and curse time for being so god damn relative. 

“Well,” you say, sadness laced in your voice, “I should probably get going.”

Harvey wrapped his arms around you tightly as he has been the entire night, “You should stop by on my lunch tomorrow, we can have a picnic if you’d like?” 

“Are you sure?” You ask, craning your neck up to look at him. 

“Absolutely, but we should just keep this little experiment between us for now. Let’s see where it goes.”

There is a pit that forms in your stomach. _Is he embarrassed of me?_ You nod, but Harvey notices the pain on your face, “Hey, for right now that will be better for the both of us. We don’t need everyone knowing what is going on between us, and if we don’t work out we can still have a clinical relationship.” 

You sigh, he’s right. You also have no idea where this relationship is going to go, and you would rather everyone in town keep to their own business. You sometimes forget that you aren’t in the city anymore, and frequently have to adjust to small town life. You stand on your toes and give Harvey a kiss on the cheek, “You got it, see you tomorrow.” 

You reach for the door handle and make your way down the stairs. About halfway down you hear Harvey call out your name. You turn around and look at him leaning up against the door frame with his arms folded. 

“Did I forget something?” You say, slightly confused. 

Harvey shook his head and chuckled, pushing himself into an upright position, “Nope, Good night.” 

You watch as he closes the door and you smile to yourself. You have’t been excited to be around someone in a very long time. You walk home and think about how effortless and pleasurable your time with Harvey was. Something about this whole thing feels grand and larger than life.

***************

Harvey laid on his couch the entire night, barely able to sleep. Part of him was afraid that if he drifted away that all of this would suddenly cease to exists, especially her. When the morning rolled around, he had to practically pull himself off of the couch. With every movement he made, a new joint cracked and popped as well. 

He strode over to the coffeepot and brewed a fresh pot for the day. Looking over at the calendar, he noticed that today was the first day of summer. He sighed to himself in relief, the summer months are very quiet in the clinic. Once in a while Jodi brings Vincent in a scraped knee, but that’s usually the extent for severity. 

Harvey chugged a cup of coffee and took cold shower to get ready for his day. He walked down to the clinic doors, and propped them open for the summer breeze to gently fill his workplace. He took his spot behind the counter and placed his elbows on the counter, giving his head a place to rest. He looked out into the greenery of the valley and smiled to himself, allowing himself to get lost in a daydream. 

While he was lost in thought, Shane had walked in and was standing at the counter. When Shane cleared his throat, that’s when Harvey snapped out of his trance. 

“Oh Shane!” Harvey saiid as he scrambled for papers on the counter top, “Uh what-- uh what brings you here today?” 

Shane looked at Harvey with a raised eyebrow, “Just came here to getsome more vitamins for Jas.”

“Right! I’ll be right back!” Harvey turned and made a run for the back office. When he got there he had to compose himself. He reached for the vitamins and took a deep breath before he exited back out to the lobby. 

Harvey reached the bottle out to Shane to grab, “Here you are.” 

Shane was peering at Harvey through slits in his lids, “Thanks.” Shane reached into his pocket and pulled out some gold for Harvey to pay him for the vitamins. When he got to the front entrance he stopped and without looking back he said, “Be patient with her Doc.” With that message, he was gone. 

Harvey stood, dumbfounded, staring at the back of Shane until his silhouette disappeared behind Jodi’s house. 

*********************

When you woke up this morning, you had an incredibly uncomfortable feeling in your stomach. You went to eat, but for some reason you couldn’t. It honestly feels like something is trying to claw its way out of your chest and abdomen. 

You decide to just let time run its course, and make your way outside to get some work done. The beginning of your first summer season here in the valley is going to be great, or at least you are determined to make it so. You begin tilling the land and prepping it for some blueberry and melon crops. You can’t afford too much, so you decide to just do 48 melons and 48 blueberries. You wipe the sweat off of your brow, and sigh in relief once you have finished. 

By the time you make it inside, you see that it is almost lunch time. All of a sudden, that sharp pain in your stomach intensifies and cripples you. “Ugh” you exclaim as you grab your stomach. You gather some veggies and sandwiches that you have prepped for your picnic and put it in a basket. You turn to walk towards the door but your feet don’t move. Suddenly, you realize you are incredibly anxious for your lunch with Harvey. _Fuck_. 

You make another move to walk towards the town, this time with success. You feverishly bite and chew the skin around your nails the entire walk there. When you make it to town, yousneak your way inside the clinic. You take a seat in the lobby and wait patiently until Harvey comes out. Finally, he makes his way around the corner with Caroline, who was just finishing up her annual visit. 

You remain silent until Harvey addresses you. You don’t want to be a bother or interrupt his work. Unfortunately, Caroline doesn’t have the same decency you do. 

“Farm girl!! What are you doing here?!”

You shudder at the pitchy tone in her voice, “I just brought Harvey some lunch.” You hesitate slightly to tell her. Caroline is the town gossiper, if she detects the slightest thing is off everyone will know in a matter of seconds. 

“Ohhhh, sounds like a nice little date!” She whines.

You shake your head, “No, no! I’m just showing him thanks for all of his medical help the past month.” 

“Didn’t you cook for him last night? Pierre said you--”

“Caroline I need you to sign some papers now.” Harvey booms. There is an obvious look of frustration on his face. You can’t help but feel slightly aroused looking at his rugged features. You seldom get to see him this aggressive. 

Caroline whips around to look at Harvey, “Right.” She walks over and signs her papers and glances between both of you. “Have a nice lunch you two.” 

You both watch as she leaves the clinic. Almost as if you were both holding your breath, you let out a heavy exhale. You look over at Harvey and shoot him a look that is apologetic. He smiles at you and laughs, “What are the chances?” 

Before you can reply, he disappears behind the door behind the counter. Within seconds he is by your side, peaking into the picnic basket. 

“You brought food!” Harvey says, totally astonished. 

You laugh in confusion, “Of course, you said a picnic.”

“I thought we would just get take out from Gus’” He replies with a shrug, “I am incredibly grateful for this though. Thank you for thinking ahead.” 

You brush a piece of hair out of your face, “No problem.” 

You both stare at each other, there is an incredible tension between you that is caused by an overwhelming urge to kiss one another. 

Harvey eventually breaks the silence and leads you out of your seat, “Let’s head out.” 

You stand up to follow him. He leads you to his favorite spot by one of the town’s gardens. You sit down and place the basket between you both. You take the cover off and expose a plethora of cut veggies and sandwiches. 

Harvey laughs at the site while reaching for a baby carrot, “You are incredible.” 

You can feel your face flush and you look away to avoid getting more flustered. Suddenly, you see a piece of sandwich floating in front of your face. You grab it out of Harvey’s hand and stuff a piece in your mouth. You look over at Harvey who is completely immersed in the moment. Yousmile to yourself and lean one arm backwards to brace yourself. Suddenly you feel pressure on your pinky . You look down and Harvey has a single finger draped over yours. A warm feelings builds up in your core. You would do anything to wrap yourself up in Harvey, but for right now, this will have to do. 


	13. The Essence of Harvey

For the past week and a half, you and Harvey have been seeing each other religiously. Somedays you have quick picnics on his lunch break, others you have dinner at his apartment. On a few occasions you have taken late night walks through the mountains and observed the night sky. 

Today is a different story. Unfortunately there is a town event, which means that you won’t be fixated on one another. Harvey said he isn’t a fan of the Luau, and you probably won’t be either. You aren’t necessarily a beach person-- or a summer person. You have had many traumatic, sandy experiences at the beach as a child for you to be able to enjoy your time there anymore. 

Regardless, this was your first Luau and Mayor Lewis was adamant about your participation. You had a supply of strawberry wine that you saved up from the spring, and you fully intended on that being your contribution for the day. You showered briefly after your morning routine on the farm. You decided you would wear a navy blue bikini and a white sarong cover up. You pulled your hair back into your usual braid. Makeup isn’t even a question given the awful humidity that the summer has provided. You gather up all of your belongings and start towards the beach. 

******************** 

Harvey sincerely hates the Luau, it is his least favorite event. Not only does he hate the beach, but he loathes watching Mayor Lewis kiss the Governor’s ass. He doesn’t even own swim trunks, so he puts on his usual brown pants with a white button up. He decides to forego the tie, and lets a couple of button open. The heat has been getting the best of Harvey lately. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the farmer, he probably would have skipped this years event. 

Harvey packed up a first aid kit that he takes everywhere and some sunscreen. Walking out the clinic, he is greeted by Maru. 

“Hey Doc.”

Harvey turns to look at Maru, “Hey Maru. I hope you put sunscreen on those bare shoulders.” 

Maru laughs, “Do you have an off button? Or are you always in doctor mode?”

Harvey just shrugs, “It’s just who I am, Maru. Care to walk with me to the beach?” 

“Sure thing, Doc.” 

Harvey and Maru talk about a potential fundraiser for the clinic on their way to the beach. The closer they get, the stronger the aroma from the Luau soup. Harvey always wondered why they chose soup as the dish for the Luau. It’s not necessarily a hot weather delicacy.

When they arrived, hey head over to the pig roast and chat with Linus for a bit. Harvey always worried about his friend, living in a tent isn’t necessarily a easy in the summer and winter. He frequently opens up the clinic for him to relax in the air conditioning and heat. during the seasons. 

“How goes it Linus?” Harvey asks, genuinely curious. 

Linus stares ahead at the roast, “Not too bad, Doc! Thanks for asking.” 

Harvey hears some commotion over by the soup pot, and when he glances over he is spellbound by the woman pouring something into the soup. Harvey and the farmer haven’t necessarily been very physical, so seeing her in next to nothing swells his throat. Her tight body looks incredible in her tiny cover up and bikini. Her back is lined with muscles that contract with every movement. Harvey knows he should look away, to prevent any suspicious glares from Maru or Linus, but he can’t pull his eyes away. 

“What’s so interesting?” Maru whispers into Harvey’s ear. 

Harvey snaps out of his trance, “Oh.... uh.... nothing. Just got a little lost in thought is all.” 

Maru obviously doesn’t buy it. She just crosses her arms and raises a brow at him, “I’m not stupid. I know there is something going on between you two. You have been inseparable the past couple of weeks.” 

“It’s nothing, just friends Maru.”

Maru cackles, “Need I remind you that I already know that you have feelings for her?”

Harvey hushed Maru, “Be quiet. Okay? We are just seeing if we are compatible right now, but we are just friends.” 

“Have you been physical?” The way she nonchalantly asked irked Harvey.

“No, and either way that is not your place to know.” 

Maru shrugged, “Whatever you say, Doc.”

Before Harvey could reply, he heard a velvety voice call out behind him, “Hi, Harv.” 

He still isn’t used to the fact that she calls him ‘Harv.’ It totally drives him wild. He turns around and looks at the sun-kissed woman standing in front of him. From this distance, he can see the goosebumps on her bare flesh. Her perky chest filling out her bikini perfectly. It takes a lot of will-power for him to resist the urge to nibble on her neck. 

“Hey there, uh...” Harvey reaches a hand behind his head to rub his neck, “You look beautiful.” 

Harvey watched as her face flushed, and he found himself incredibly drawn to her. He wanted nothing more than to reach out an grab her, claiming her as his own. 

She let out a nervous laugh, “Thanks.” 

In the distance, Harvey can see Alex making his way over to both of them. He felt incredibly insecure all of the sudden. Alex was in impeccable physical shape. His muscles rippled throughout his body with every stride. He closed the distance between you all. Harvey opened his mouth to greet Alex, but stopped when he realized what was about to happen. 

With a flat hand, Alex slapped the farmer’s butt as he mumbled, “Nice ass.”

Before Harvey could logically think about his next move, his hand was wrapped tightly around Alex’s wrist, “Apologize.” 

Alex laughed heartily, “No.” 

The farmer reached out and put a hand on Harvey’s bicep, “Harvey, it’s ok--”

“No. It’s not.” Harvey’s gaze was steadfast on Alex, “He needs to apologize.” 

Alex forcefully removed his wrist from Harvey’s grip. He squares up to Harvey, and even though he is slightly shorter than the doctor, he seems larger in the moment. 

“Man, Doc. The rumors must be true, you really must have feelings for our newest resident.” The words are growled. “Has she fucked you yet? Cause she’s fucked me several times.” 

The words pierced through Harvey’s heart. He wanted nothing more than to punch Alex in the face, but he had to compose himself. He has a professional image to maintain within the town.

“Alex!” The farmer exclaimed, she went to push him but Alex grabbed both of her wrists.

Alex looked at Harvey, “You haven’t gotten laid yet, have you?” Harvey is incredibly nervous about what his next move is. The farmer’s delicate wrists are in Alex’s brute-like hands as she is frantically trying to pull away. 

Alex looks down at the farmer and whispers, “Let’s give him a show.” 

Alex unties the top of the farmer’s bikini, leaving her completely exposed. Harvey shoots over to her and quickly wraps her up in his arms. The farmer starts to cry into Harvey’s chest as Alex runs away with her top. Luckily, this all happened in a relatively quiet part of the beach, and no one seems to have noticed the little riffraff. The only person around is Maru, who is frozen in fear. Harvey is torn between running after Alex and comforting the farmer. Obviously he would never leave her in a moment like this, but if circumstances were different, Harvey would have definitely intervened with physical violence. 

Harvey whispered into the farmer’s ear, “Unbutton my shirt, you can have it and I’ll walk you home.” 

She did exactly as he said and Harvey discretely transferred the clothing onto her body. Harvey reached down and wiped the tears away from her eyes, “Let’s get you back to the farm.” 

Harvey escorted the farmer away from the beach, and made sure that there was minimal attention drawn to her. They took the back way that passed by Marnie’s farm, and Harvey kept his arm around her for the entirety of the walk. 

*********************

You have been in a total state of shock since the interaction with Alex at the beach. You haven’t been able to process anything that has happened to you since. The only thing that you are able to feel is Harvey’s hand rubbing your arm. 

When you get to the farmhouse you immediately break down into tears. Harvey throws his arms around you and coos at you to comfort you. He slips the keys out of your hands and opens the door, gently guiding you inside. He sets you down on the couch and brushes the hair out of your face, “I’m going to run you a bath, okay?”

You nod in between sobs. This is the first time you have looked directly at Harvey, who is completely shirtless. There is a feeling of guilt that spreads throughout your body, “I.... I’m... sorry..” you say, gasping for air, “for... taking.... your.... shirt.” You throw your hands to cover up your face. 

Harvey just lets out an airy chuckle, and pulls your hands away from your face, “I didn’t like this one anyway. I want you to keep it.” 

With that, you watch him get up and head into the bathroom. You hear the creak of the nobs on the bathtub and the rush of the water. Eventually there is silence and Harvey comes out and grabs your hand, leading you to the bath tub.

“Take your time, when you are done I’ll be out on your couch, okay?” 

You grab his wrist, “Please sit in here with me. Don’t leave.” You are panicked. You have such trust in Harvey, you couldn’t bare have him leave you in this moment. 

Harvey looked flustered and confused, so you clarify, “I’ll get in the tub and can you just.... sit next to me. Please just don’t leave me alone, Harv.” 

A softness spread across his face like melted butter, “Of course, let me know when I should come in.” 

You close the door as you undress and submerge yourself in hot water and bubbles. Once you are comfortable, you softly call for Harvey to join you. 

When he comes in, you point to his shirt and he slips it on leaving it unbuttoned. He sits down byyour head and places a soft kiss on your forehead. 

“Harv?” You ask, playing with the bubbles in front of you. 

“Hmm?” He replies quietly. 

“Are you upset that we haven’t been physically intimate yet?” You sink lower into the tub, fearful of his response. 

Harvey grabs your face in between both of his hands, “Absolutely not.” 

You just simply stare at him. There is a sincerity in his eyes that leave you completely satisfied with his response. You don’t question him further, you know he is telling the truth. 

Harvey’s face turns slightly red, “I... uh.. I love the time that we have been spending together. I am happy that we are building a spiritual and emotional connection before we move onto the physical plane. For once in my life I have a genuine connection with someone, and I cherish that more than anything.” 

Tears form in your eyes. You can’t help it after the day you’ve had. You have never had a man treat you so kindly or with such respect. 

“Hand me that cup.” Harvey says suddenly. 

You reach and comply with his request. He starts pouring the hot water through your hair. He puts some shampoo onto the palm of his hand and gently massages it into your scalp. Once he finishes with your hair, he grabs a wash cloth and washes your back. He lingers slightly around your shoulders, kneading his fingers into your tense muscles. When he is done, he places a kiss on your cheek, “Finish up and meet me on the couch.” He leaves, returning only once to drop off clothing that you can slip into. 

You do as he says, eager to be wrapped in his warmth once again. You slide on a pair of athletic shorts and a sweatshirt he picked out for you. _I can definitely get used to this_. 

You exit the bathroom and see Harvey laying down on your couch. When he notices you he pats his chest, inviting you to curl up with him. You slither into the spot on his chest that you swear was made for you and he tangles his arms around you. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t do more to protect you today.” There is a defeated tone to his voice. 

You look up at Harvey, gently rubbing your thumb on his mustache, “You handled what happened with more composure and grace than I would have been able to.” 

Harvey breathlessly laughed, “I wanted to punch him.” 

“Me too.” You say flatly, “But that’s not who you are and I love that about you.” 

There is a silence that falls over both of you. The word ‘love’ seemed to fly out of your mouth involuntarily. You try to rack your brain for ways to cover up your slip, but thankfully Harvey squeezes you tighter. You slip into an affection induced coma for the rest of the evening, taking in the essence of Harvey. 


	14. Reunion

Harvey filed some paper work, sighing in the process. He loved his job, he really did, but during the summer months things turned rather tedious. He rolled away from his filing cabinet, back to his desk and never-ending to-do list. 

“Hey Doc!” Maru burst in the examination room which couples as his office. 

Harvey fumbled with his pen slightly frightened by her outburst, “Wh-what’s up?” 

“Jodi just walked in, she’s feeling unwell. Should I send her back or wait a couple of moments?” 

Harvey gestured to Maru that suggested to send her back. Not like he was in the middle of anything worth while anyway. Harvey neatly stacked the papers on his desk and organized everything just before Jodi stumbled into his office. 

“Hello there, Jodi!” Harvey said, putting on the best bedside manner act he could. “Heard you are feeling a little under the weather?” 

Jodi nodded, sneezed into a tissue, and corrected him “Completely under the weather.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that Jodi. Care to tell me more about your symptoms?” Harvey asked, as if he already didn’t diagnose her. Las week Vincent was in for a sinus infection, no doubt this is what has afflicted Jodi. Harvey was watching Jodi as she described her symptom, in what he could only assume to be vivid detail, but his mind was drifting elsewhere. He started to think about the farmer and the time he has been spending with her. Yesterday they walked through the mountains and the sun shone perfectly on her naturally curly hair. Harvey spent his life caring for people, but nothing made him feel the way he did when he cared for her. 

“Doc?” Jodi interrupted his train of thought. 

Harvey snapped out of his trance, “Sorry, I was mulling things over. Sounds like you got a sinus infection Jodi. Probably caught it from your son. I’ll prescribe you with some antibiotics.” 

Harvey logged onto his computer and sent a prescription order out, “Okay, your prescription will arrive tomorrow morning. Ceftin, twice a day for 10 days.” Since there is no pharmacy in Pelican Town, they unfortunately have to overnight prescriptions.

Jodi nodded her head.

Harvey walked over to his medicine cabinet and searched for his bottle of Ceftin. He put two pills in a transparent, orange container, and snapped on a child-proof lid. Harvey turned around to Jodi and handed her the medication, “Have Sam stop buy to pick up your medications.” 

Harvey helped Jodi stand up and walked her to the front desk. When he entered the lobby, he saw a bright face sitting in the waiting room. When he made eye contact with the farmer, she just waved and mouthed “hi” through her smile. Harvey nodded at her as he eventually turned his back to her to get Jodi all checked out. 

Jodi turned around and smiled at the farmer. She turned around and gave Harvey a telling look, but he reminded composed and simply said, “Get well, Jodi.” 

Jodi simply huffed and left in a hurry. When she was gone, Harvey breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the beautiful woman walking towards him. 

“What a pleasant surprise.” The tone in his voice was lower than expected, but then he realized that there could be something wrong, “Wait, is everything okay?” 

She let out a laugh that was milky smooth, the sound sent shivers down Harvey’s spine, “Of course it it.” Suddenly Harvey realized that she had something hidden behind her back. He craned his neck to take a peak, but she turned in the opposite direction. “What do you have there?” 

An adorable smile graced he lips, and she finally caved and whipped around a jar of pickles. She placed the jar on the counter with a clanking sound ad said, “Freshly made. I couldn’t wait to give them to you so.... here!” She gently pushed the jar forward. 

Harvey picked it up and stared at it, mouth starting to water, “Have I ever told you how incredible you are?” 

She shrugged, “Once in a while.” 

Harvey leaned over the counter, “Well I’ll have to step up my game, won’t I?” 

*********************

You can feel the blush form across your cheeks. Harvey was incredibly flirtatious today, more than you have ever seen him. There was something within you begging you to grab his tie and pull him over the counter into a kiss. But you refrained from such behavior and thankfully so. 

“Oh hey! How are you doing?” Maru’s soft voice came from out of the blue. You look over and notice the woman struggling to carry boxes of papers. You rush over and grab one to take a load off of her back. 

You smile kindly at her, “I’m fine Maru, how about you?” 

She laughed, “I’ll be better once I put these boxes down.” 

“Where am I going?” You ask.

Maru gestured to the corner of the clinic with her head, “Over there.” 

You smile at her and oblige. You make careful to bend at the knees, not to strain your back.You set the box down with a thud and stretch into a upward position. 

“Thanks for your help!” Maru said with a heavy breath. 

“Anytime, Maru.” You glance over at Harvey and his eyes are practically pulling you in. You stope your staring to prevent another blush from popping up on your face, and turn back to Maru. 

Maru is looking between both of you with a smirk, “So, what is this?” The way she casually asks throws you off guard. 

“Uh--Wh-What do you mean?” You completely failed to prevent a flush, now your whole face is burning red hot. 

“I _mean_,” she says, “are you and Harvey dating?” 

You panic and look over at Harvey who uncrosses his arms and throws them up. There is a curiosity in his face, almost like he is waiting for you to answer as well. You look back at Maru, who now has her brow furrowed, “We are just hanging out... and...” You frantically run your hands through your hair, you feel incredibly stressed out. 

Thankfully, Harvey started walking over towards you, “We are friends Maru.” Harvey places his arm around you, the weight is so comfortable.

You look up at Harvey, and he is smiling at Maru. There is a little pinch of disappointment that builds up in your stomach, but that is a conversation for a later date. Harvey wasn’t necessarily lying, you were great friends. But you also couldn’t deny the fact that late at night, when you are alone, you often touched yourself to the thought of his smooth hands on your skin. So I guess you can say it’s complicated, at best. 

Maru shook her head though, she wasn’t buying it, “No, Harvey. You and I _are _friends.” She now points back and forth between you and Harvey, “_This_, is much different.” 

Harvey tightens his grip around you, you can feel that this is making him incredibly nervous as well. Oddly enough, that is enough to relax you in this moment so you can speak up, “Not really. I mean, you and Harvey hang out a lot at work. And Harvey and I hang out a lot outside of work. We are just two different types of friends.” 

You are sort of worried that your words come off harsh, but Harvey’s grip loosens slightly at your confident lie. Maru doesn’t seem to be too offended either, so you let out a breath that you didn’t even know you were holding. 

“Fine. You got me, I have no evidence otherwise so I’ll let this slide for now.” Maru starts to walk towards the double doors and disappears behind them. Harvey throws his hands on his knees and lets out a hearty laugh, looking at you, “You are one clever girl.” 

“I didn’t really know what to do. I mean...” You trail off nervously, but Harvey stands up straight and towers over you. He puts one hand on your shoulder and softly grins at you.

“We can save that conversation for another time, when you are ready.” The soft way his voice soothes you makes you feel like you are flying. All you can do is smile. Harvey’s hand reaches to cup your cheek, and he lingers there for a moment before brushing a stray hair behind your ear. 

The bell on the clinic door rings and you both frantically step away from one another. In walks Sebastian with his dark appearance. Thankfully he was too caught up fiddling around with his video game to actually notice that you and Harvey were having a moment. 

Maru steps out of the back when she heard the door and yells, “YO! Get off that game.”

Sebastian rolls his eyes and scoffs at his sister, “Please can I just get this appointment over with?” 

Maru points to have Sebastian walk through the door and he does as she commands. Harvey calls out to her as she escorts her brother back to the examination room, “I’ll be right back!” 

Maru simply throws a hand in Harvey’s direction and doesn’t verbally acknowledge his statement. 

Harvey looks down at you, “I’m sorry, I have to go.” 

You understand, “Are you free tonight?” 

Harvey pauses for a moment and looks deep in thought, “Actually...” He trails off, the hesitation has you in a great state of anticipation. 

“Is everything okay?” You ask, suddenly, anxiety is building up in your stomach. 

Harvey sighs, rubbing the eyes under his glasses, “This may be short notice, but I actually have an..... event.... to tend to in the city tonight. I was going to ask you to escort me, but I understand if it is short notice.

You are relieved, but also curious, “An event?” 

Harvey looks away from you and mumbles, “It’s a reunion for med school.” 

You laugh, “Why didn’t you tell me? Of course I’ll go with you. I know it would probably be great to have a familiar face there.” 

“I just, didn’t want you to think I was old, I guess.” 

You reach up and plant a kiss onto Harvey’s cheek, “I’ll go home and get ready immediately. What time should I be back here?” 

“Five-ish, if that’s okay.” 

You race towards the door, “You got it!”

******************

This is the fastest you have ever gotten ready for such an event. You are actually tempted to write down the time and keep it as a personal record. You look at yourself in the mirror and you are pleased with how you look. Your har is loosely curled and running down your bare shoulder. The black, body-con, strapless dress looks incredible on your body, thanks to your new profession as a farmer. You turn to the side and flatten the fabric down farther onto your skin. Tilting your head slightly, you try to decide which shoes to finish off your outfit. Finally, you decide on clear, heeled sandals. 

You grab a clutch purse and move head out the door. Upon opening the door, you see Harvey standing on the other side, prepared to knock. He’s dressed is also dressed in all black, which for you to witness is abnormal. You expected his usual green and red getup, but you enjoy the way the black button down and slack accentuates his body. 

You both stare at each other for a moment and laugh when you realize what was about to happen. 

“What a surprise.” You say, mimicking his words from earlier. 

Harvey just stares at you, a light pink building on his cheeks, “You look breathtaking.” 

Now it’s your turn to blush. You look away and fidget with your purse. Harvey reaches out for your hand and you happily tangle your arm in his. The warm summer air gently caressing your face as you make your way to the bus stop. However, when you get there, there is a black car waiting there which Harvey guides you towards. 

He opens the door for you and you swoon, at least on the inside. You slide into the leather seats and Harvey follows right behind you. 

“I assume you are Harvey?” The driver says, very apathetic in tone. 

Harvey nods, “Yes sir. Thank you for your service tonight, it is greatly appreciated.”

“Tsk.” The driver turns around. “You are welcome.” 

You and Harvey exchange glances between each other and laugh quietly. The driver starts the car and you are off to ZuZu City. You look out of the window, taking in the scenery of the Valley. There is a warm feeling that builds in your chest, and the sights allow you to feel at home. You glance over at Harvey who is also gazing out of the window. There is a soft smile on his face that make you reach out your hand to his. You turn your head, fearful Harvey would reject you, but are pleasantly surprised when he laces his fingers through yours. You feel your hand lifted off of the seat, and finally the tickle of his mustache on your skin. You look over at him and he softly kisses the flesh on your hand. 

The entire ride to the city, you and Harvey grip on to one another. You finally pull up to an extravagant building and the driver pulls over. “Here you go. See you later.” 

Harvey hands the driver some gold, and his demeanor changes slightly. Harvey gets out of the car and help you out onto the pavement. When your feet are firmly planted and you look around, the environment feels strangely familiar yet distant. This was a place that you once called home.

“Everything okay?” Harvey asks you, worry strong in his voice. 

You shake your head out of your trance, “Sure. Sorry, it’s just... been a while is all.”

You hold tight onto Harvey’s hand as you walk up the stairs to the door. The doorman welcomes you, and your mind immediately floats away to Merle. _I’ll have to call him when I’m back in the valley_. 

You step into the building and are in awe of the bold, baroque architecture. You look at Harvey, “I feel slightly under dressed.” 

Harvey laughs, leans down and whispers, “Me too.” 

You both turn and enter the dining room and there are swarms of people with champagne in their hands, all of them making small talk. Suddenly, you are incredibly nervous. You look around the room, somehow hoping to see a familiar face, but there are none. You look over at Harvey and he is incredibly nervous as well. 

Suddenly, a decently familiar man started walking towards you. He reaches out his hand to Harvey and then looks at you, “So, how have you been?”

You look at the man, still unable to make him out, “Uh... I’m well. Thank you.” 

The man laughed and ran a hand through his ash brown hair, “You don’t remember me, do you?” 

You shake your head, “I’m sorry, no.” 

You can feel Harvey’s eyes on you the entire time, a single bead of sweat forming on your neck. The man laughs, “Of course you don’t. I was sort of a one night stand.” 

Now you remember. You hooked up with this guy once after you got wasted at a local bar one evening. The urge to disappear has become overwhelming. Your face was very red, you look over at Harvey, and his eyes are telling you to relax-- so you do. 

“And what is the point of bringing that up now?” You are surprised by how stern your voice has become. The man, who’s name you don’t even remember, is now flustered. 

“I’m not really.... sure.” He meekly says back at you. 

You wrap your arm around Harvey’s, “Precisely.” You look forward and Harvey takes that as a cue to leave. When you are far enough away from the man, Harvey leans down by your ear, “That was powerful.” 

You turn your head quickly and press your lips into his, cupping his face in your hands. There is an intensity between you that is growing with each passing moment. 

“Doctor Harvey?” A deep voice booms from behind. 

Slightly embarrassed about your public display, you keep your eyes on Harvey. Harvey turns and looks in the direction of the voice and exclaims, “Neil!” 

You look and see a handsome man with blonde hair reaching out to hug Harvey. You smile at the genuine affection that the two exchange, the two obviously secure in their masculinity. 

“How have you been?!” Neil practically shouts. 

Harvey shrugs, “Things have been getting better actually.” He looks in your direction, “Here I want you to meet someone. This is my date.” 

You reach your hand out but Neil disregards it. Instead, he pulls you in for a tight hug. You note the smell of his cologne, it’s quite intoxicating and smells--expensive. 

“How long have you two been together.” Neil looks between both of you, your throat starting to feel incredibly tight.

Harvey just shakes his head, “Not very long.” 

“Well I’m happy for you. Marie and I thought you were going to be a bachelor forever.” Neil pats a now anxious Harvey on the back. Does anyone here have a sensor? 

A beautiful woman with dark, curly hair walks over to all of you. Harvey walks over to hug her, and you can tell by their actions that their relationship only exists because of Neil. 

Neil points at you and says to the woman, “Marie, this is Harvey’s date.”

The woman looks over at you and looks you up and down and forces a smile. _Bitch_. You can tell that there is judgment taking place in her head. You shift uncomfortably and smile at the woman, trying to be as polite as you can. 

Harvey picks up on the interaction and interjects, “Let’s sit down, shall we?”

You all take a seat together at a table and you stay there for most. Neil tells you crazy stories about Harvey from their medical school days and you are totally enthralled by them. Harvey frequently tries to stop Neil from telling you about his embarrassing stories, but with no prevail. Your favorite had to be when Harvey drunkenly wrote a paper and forgot to remove “Professor Fuck” from the formatting. This was an entirely different side of Harvey, on the you quite enjoyed if you were honest. You would have never pictured Harvey to so rebellious, considering he is always so well put together.

Finally Harvey had enough of Neil’s stories and stood up and grabbed your hand, “Let’s dance.” 

You both made your way to the dance floor and he gently held your hand and wrapped his free one around your waist. He looked down at you with apologetic eyes, “I am so sorry you had to hear all of that.” 

You laugh, “Harvey, I want to hear stuff like that. I love seeing different sides to your personality.”

Harvey winced slightly, “All of what Neil said seems like such a distant memory. I don’t even know who that person was that he was talking about.” 

“We all have memories like that Harvey, but they make us who we are.” You reach up to nuzzle your nose against his, “And I love who you are right now.” 

Harvey stopped and you immediately realized the severity of your words. Harvey stepped back from you slightly and began to say something, “Yo--”

You cut him off, “I have to go to the restroom.” You pull away from Harvey and rush towards the washroom and you lock yourself inside a stall. You are completely out of breath. This is the second time that you let the ‘L’ word slip, and you aren’t sure why. You couldn’t possibly love Harvey. _Could I love Harvey?_

You hear the door open, and listen as someone walks into the bathroom. You hear clanging and shuffling around at the sink. You push the lid to the toilet down and take a seat, how are you going to face Harvey? What do you even say to him? You practically told him you loved him, somehow without even knowing it. 

The door opens again and another women walks in and stands next to the woman who is already touching up her makeup, or at least that’s what you assume. You listen to their banter about their husbands and domestic lifestyle. You roll your eyes, these definitely aren’t women you would associate with willingly. 

Finally they leave and you make your way out of the stall. You walk over to the mirror and you stare at yourself long and hard. You think about your life before Harvey and you cringe. That is not something pleasant. You think about how Harvey will react when you finally see him again and you become mortified at the potential of him rejecting you. You can’t imagine your life without Harvey at this point in your _complicated _relationship. Then, almost like an epiphany, you mutter under your breath, “I love him.” 

You sigh and pace back and forth for a few moments, and then build up the courage to walk out of the washroom. When you do, you see Harvey sitting down at the table, fiddling around with his utensils. When he looks up to see you walking towards him, he gets up and swiftly walks over to you. 

Before he can say anything, or do anything, you say, “I love you. I’m sorry if you don’t feel the same way but I do... well... feel that way so... yes?” You look down at your feet, unable to look at the expression on Harvey’s face.

You feel a gentle hand cradle your chin. Harvey lifts your face up to his and snakes his arm around your waist, pulling you in to his chest, “I love you too.” 

Harvey leans down and gently places his lips on yours and there is an electricity that builds in your core. You throw your hands around his neck and draw him in deeper. When you break apart Harvey commands, “Let’s get out of here.” 

You don’t hesitate for a moment, you simply agree and follow his every move. 


	15. Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I recently started a new Harvey fanfic! Check that out if you get a chance <3 Also, if you are wondering why I am late with this post today it's because I have been having connectivity issues ALL DAY. So I'm happy I was finally able to post! Have a great holiday week everyone :3

Harvey calls for the driver and guides you outside. You stand on the bustling city side-walk and he pulls you in close, consuming your body in his. 

“It’s nearly midnight and it’s still this busy?” There is a heavy tone of confusion in his voice. 

You nod your head, simultaneously nuzzling his chest while you do, “No time to stop in the city, Harv.”

You notice the familiar black car pull up to the curb which you and Harvey are standing. Harvey opens the door and allows you to move into the vehicle first. Both inside, Harvey instructs the driver to head home and he responds with a low grumble. You inch your way closer to Harvey and rest your head on his shoulder. With a heavy sigh, Harvey relaxes and slouches slightly in the seat. 

You take in a deep breath, there is something so magical about the way that Harvey smells. You allow yourself to become drunk on the aroma, and you slowly feel a heat burning in your core. you shift slightly and tightly cross your legs. You place a hand on Harvey’s inner thigh and slowly start to move it upwards. You feel Harvey’s breath hitch, and the sound makes you hungry. You glance up towards him and see that he already has his head thrown back biting his lip slightly. 

You can’t help yourself anymore, so you massage your hand across his already hard member. You let out a muffled sigh, and look down to admire the sight. You can see the outline from Harvey’s cock, and are taken back by the size and width of it, even making your hand seem smaller than usual. 

You continue to massage your hand across his bulge, reaching up to pepper his jawline with soft kisses. You love watching this man unravel at your hand. Suddenly he reaches down and grabs your wrist, whispering, “As much as I am enjoying this, I won’t last much longer. I’m sorry.” 

You pull your hand away and cup his face with it instead, pulling him in for a slow, deep kiss. You force your tongue into his mouth, and he is there to meet you. You both stop when you hear a humming sound coming from the front of the car. You notice that the driver has started to put up a divider. One it is all the way up, you and Harvey look at each other and laugh slightly, “I wish I knew this car had a divider sooner.” 

With that, you make your way on top of Harvey. You place your hands on his shoulders and he run his along your waist. You gasp, the contact being much more intimate that you are used to. You look into Harvey’s hungry, green eyes and start to grind your hips into his. His hips stutter slightly at the contact, and his hands fall to your thighs. You place your hands on top of his and you slowly begin to guide them up your dress. You lace his fingers underneath the straps of your panties and move your hands to his neck. You place your lips on his neck, and work your way up to his ear lobe. You nibble and suck for a moment, before whispering, “Is this okay with you?” 

Harvey tries to form a sentence but fails miserably, so he just nods his head. You grind onto his hips once more and he bucks his hips into you, desperately digging his fingers into your ass. You start off slowly, relishing in the feel of his twitching member. Once all of your will power is gone, you pick up your pace, movings at a tantalizingly fast pace. Harvey lets out a deep groan from the deepest pits of his being and grabs a handful of your hair, pulling you in for a sloppy kiss. His hips are moving with yours, totally synchronized. Abruptly he picks you off of his lap slightly, “O-on...one more move and I’m done.” The words barely escape his lips.

You pick yourself off of Harvey and he lets out a soft whimper. You aren’t finished yet, though. You reach down and undo his belt, once again he grabs your wrist, “You don’t--”

“I want to.” You don’t care if you sound eager, because you certainly are. 

You slide his pants and boxers down slightly, just enough to reveal his dick to you. You instinctively lick your lips, and grab it with your dominant hand. The feel of your soft skin on him makes him moan, probably a little louder than he intended. You swirl your tongue around the head, taking in the salty sensation. Harvey throws a hand onto your shoulder and violently digs his nail into you. The feeling is erotic. You kiss your way down to the base and then lick your way back up. Finally you move your head down onto his cock, not giving him a moment to adjust. He ends up deep in your throat and you swear he has torn of skin on your shoulder. You bob your head up and down, growing hungrier with every stifled moan. Harvey tangles his hand in your head and slams you back down, releasing an impressive amount of cum into your mouth and throat; you are happy to swallow every drop. 

You move your mouth softly off of Harvey and place your lips gently on his cheek. He is desperately trying to catch his breath, “That.... that was... Yoba... I... love you.”He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, a single bead of sweat rolling down his face. The car stopped and you peered out the window. You recognized the oaks trees and the bus stop. _Home._ Harvey exited the car on wobbly legs, but still manages to hold the door open for you. 

You step out and as soon as the door closes,the car peels away. Harvey let out a chuckle, “can’t really say I blame him.” He slings his arm around you, “Let’s get you home.” 

You and Harvey silently make your way back to the farmhouse. You both stand on the porch in silence, avoiding each others gaze. You fumble with your keys and eventually reach for the door, “So...”

Harvey rocks back and forth on his heels, “So.” 

You laugh, “Do you want to--”

Before you can even get the words out, Harvey’s hands are around your waist. The kiss though, is soft and sweet. Before you can clear your mind, you feel your feet leave the ground. Harvey carries you into the bedroom and delicately lays you down on the bed; his lips never leaving yours. You make your way onto the bed together, his body consuming yours from above. 

He sluggishly removed your dress from your body, exposing your skin to the cold air conditioning. You break the kiss and let out a whine in anticipation. Harvey makes his way to stand at the foot of the bed, removing the only piece of undergarment you have on. As he stands above you there is a starving, dark look in his eye. He wraps his hands under your knees and sharply pulls your body to the edge of the bed. With your right foot in his hand, he places kisses on the arch of your foot. Your ankle. Your calf. The side of your knee. When he reaches your thigh he only lightly grazes your skin with his lips, his breath and mustache sending electricity throughout your body. You squirm slightly and let out a breathless, “H-Harv.” 

His lips meet your wet slit, and he carelessly runs his tongue along it. You arch your back and thrust your hips, begging for more contact. Harvey lets out a chuckle and the vibration drives you wild. Harvey reaches one of his large hands up to your breast, teasing your nipple in between his fingers. The sensations make your mind go fuzzy, you can’t remember the last time you felt this ecstatic. Harvey watches you, his gaze reminiscent of a wild animal. Every move and moan you make he answers to with his tongue, sucking and licking your cunt as he deems necessary. 

Eventually it all becomes too much for you to take, you are pushed over the edge and become a melted, quivering mess. You moan out Harvey’s name as if it is an incantation, as if it is the only word you know. Harvey guides you through your orgasm and when you come down from the high he places one last kiss on your pussy. 

He stands up and begins to remove his shirt. and you scramble to your nightstand for a condom. _Yoba, hopefully these fit._ You turn around and Harvey is naked, and you take a moment to admire the man. You eye his cock and suddenly find it hard to swallow. You sit on the edge of the bed and remove the condom wrapper, tossing it haphazardly to the floor. You roll up the rubber and land a kiss on Harvey’s waistline when you are done. 

You move back on the bed and he spreads your legs with his warm, strong hands. He lines up the tip of his member to your opening. He presses in slightly, and then pulls out with a devilish grin. He does this several times until you feel as if you are about to explode, “Harv, please!” 

Your hips wildly buck underneath him, desperate for him to enter you. He reaches down for a kiss as he slides his entire length into you. It’s painful, but in the most wonderful way. He looks down at you, “Tell me when you are ready, love.” 

You shift underneath him for a moment, adjusting to his girth. Finally, you nod your head and Harvey pulls out only to slam back into you. You let out a guttural noise that you didn’t even know you were capable of making. He starts of slow, rocking into you with a gentleness that sends waves of pleasure throughout your entire body. 

Harvey kisses the crook of your neck, biting it slightly, “I.... I love.... you.” 

You manage to reply, “Harv... so much... I love you... so much.” 

At your words his pace increases dramatically, his body now slamming into yours. You reach for purchase, for anything that you can hold on to. You feel as if your soul is about to leave your body. Nails digging into his back, his teeth biting into your soft flesh you begin to feel a climax coming on again. 

“Harv.... I’m going to.....” You can’t even remember what you were trying to say. 

“Cum.” His tone was dark, and deep. It is a command, and your are happy to oblige. 

You wither underneath him as there is a cataclysmic reaction that erupts in your core. Once again filling the room with his name. Harvey slows down to allow you to enjoy your moment. When you come back down, your head is fuzzier than ever. Harvey begins to pound into you again, but in a very unrhythmic way. 

Harvey groans into your neck. You gently run your fingers down his back, as he orgasms. His body convulsing with each wave. When he is finished he slowly pulls out of you, and rolls onto his side. You flip over and drape your arm across your chest, swirling your fingers through his chest hair. For several moments, you both lay there in silence, catching your breath.

“I’m sorry I--” He starts, but you stop him.

“You’re sorry you were what? Fantastic?” You say as you land a kiss on his chest, “Me too. Because this is all I’m going to want to do now.” 

Harvey laughed, pulling you on top of him, “How did I get so lucky?” 

You smile at him, “I was just asking myself the same question.”


End file.
